


Mercury Unraveled

by beautiful_as_endless



Series: The Life and Times of Team Hijo de Puta [11]
Category: Heneral Luna (2015)
Genre: Gen, you know the drill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-10-21 08:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 26,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10681701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautiful_as_endless/pseuds/beautiful_as_endless
Summary: He was a relative stranger to them and yet there he was, treated like family while he was trying to pulll himself together.





	1. On the Floor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chanporado](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanporado/gifts), [hotaryu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotaryu/gifts).



_ He thought she was a boy when they first met. _

_ He was eight, and she was seven. He was a rich landlord’s son, she daughter of the laundry woman and an unknown man who was rumored to be the parish priest. He was dressed in girls’ clothes, his hair left to grow long in his mother’s attempt to spite his father who beat her because of his beliefs - that women must submit to men as it was the natural order of things. She was dressed like a boy as she and her mother had to make do with worn out clothes that their kinder clients donated to them. _

_ She smiled at him from behind her mother’s skirts as the woman apologized to his father for bringing her child with her - there was no one to look after little Celeste, after all. He smiled back at her, held out his hand, and led her through the house so they can run off and play. His father wouldn’t mind - he never really cared much about what his son did and didn’t do. _

_ ****** _

_ He taught her to read and write. She taught him how to sing, and swim in the small stream that cut through the woods at the back of his father’s vast farmlands. They were still children, oblivious to so many things about the world and to them, happiness was simply about lying side by side on the grass or splashing in the stream. _

_ ****** _

_ “Wala na ang inay mo. Hindi ka na maaaring magdamit babae.” His father’s rough tones broke the somber silence in their household. _

_ Grabbing his son’s long, braided hair, he dragged him through the household and into a bathroom. The child was slender and short for a boy of thirteen and couldn’t fight back, not when his father shoved him on the floor, not when his hair was hacked off with a knife, not when he was forced into clothes that were deemed fit for a young man like him. _

**Wednesday, 10-24-2016, 4:30 PM, Tarlac, Tarlac**

Paulo Piqueras hated being the bearer of unwanted news. He also hated it whenever he wanted to give potentially unwanted advice.

He spent the entire day in his cubicle in his father’s office mulling over the letter he almost trampled on that morning when he left the house. He hated making his lover angry - or even just upset - but he also wanted her to feel  _ happier  _ in the long run.

It was a difficult choice.

_ “Ploo, _ ikaw na ba yan?” he heard her calling out from the garden as he shut the gate behind him.

“Of course.” He strode through the garden, his body relaxing by instinct at the sight of the golden yellow roses that they planted a little over a year ago, back when they first moved in. The comforting sight did nothing to calm the thoughts  bouncing around in his head.

Celeste was hard at work in the garden, sorting through some old possessions with a sleeping Concha slung across her bag on her baby carrier. They’ve been working at it for days, picking out everything they had to keep and discarding the rest. Moving away, south to Angeles, was the sort of adventure that needed a lot of organization and planning - which they were both a little terrible at - but they knew it would be ultimately rewarding.

He took a moment to appreciate the sight of his little family. Celeste looked up, her golden hair and brown lipstick muddling up his thoughts as much as her brown eyes and faint freckles and fair skin did.

Little Concha was still as cute as ever, every bit as fair as her parents, her brown hair inherited from her mother starting to curl around the edges. She let out a little yawn and opened her dark eyes, a small smile on her pink lips as she stared at him curiously.

He loved them both, he really did.

“Bakit ganyan kang makatingin?” Celeste asked, raising her brow.

“Pwede ba tayong magusap sa loob?” He felt his palms sweat and wondered if he was doing the right thing.

He was still doubting himself by the time they were in the living room. Celeste sat beside him, cradling their daughter, confusion in her face.

“May problema ba?” Her voice held just the slightest bit of fear and pain, as if she was fearing the worst - that he would leave her and their child, the way her American father left her pregnant mother.

He knew he would never do that to her and yet it still broke his heart. “May dumating na sulat kaninang umaga. Galing sa tatay mo.”

She stared at him, her sadness quickly replaced by rage. Her father was still a touchy subject, it seemed. “Alam mo namang  _ wala  _ na akong pakialam sa kanya. Wala rin naman siyang naging pakialam samin ni mama, hindi ba?”

He put the slightly crumpled letter on the table, eyeing her warily. “Nahanap ka daw niya sa FB at IG. Nakablock na siya sayo, diba?”

_ “Ala nakami man dapat pisabyan.” Wala naman kaming dapat pagusapan.  _ She clutched Concha tightly and the child let out a little sound of discomfort.

His hands felt cold as he looked away, bracing himself for the impact. “You still need to hear him out.”  _ Wag kang magalit, please? _

Of course, things always took a turn for the worse.

Celeste bristled. “Paulo, tama na. Ayoko na siyang pagusapan. Ayoko siyang kausapin. Wala rin namang magandang mangyayari dun.”

“Alam ko pero wala namang masama kung susubukan mo, diba?” He knew he was digging his own grave but he really wanted to make sure she didn’t regret her decisions.

“Ang tigas ng ulo mo!” Her sharp voice made Concha cry. “Wag mo nga akong kakausapin.  _ Lakwan muku pa. _ ”  _ Iwanan mo muna ako _ .

Giving him an impressive glare, she stormed out of the living room and stomped up the stairs.

She wouldn’t talk to him even when he tried, merely used her magic too give her physical strength a boost and throw him out of the house. She trembled with barely suppressed rage as she locked the gate at his face and stomped back to the house. She didn’t budge, not even when he called out to her. He knew he messed up big time.

Sighing, he patted his pockets, thankful that he had money with him.  _ I need a freaking drink _ .

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 7:30 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He woke up with the worst headache he ever had at that point in his life. His brain felt like a jumbled mess and try as he might, the last thing he recalled was downing what was supposed to be his seventh bottle of beer, stumbling to the bus terminal. He couldn’t taste or smell anything but stale beer on him - at least he didn’t throw up - and he seemed well enough to sit up. He didn’t even dare open his eyes though, not trusting himself enough to be steady.

He heard the sound of a gate opening, followed by footsteps.

“Iiwan lang naman natin sa labas yung mga to, hindi pa naman nila lalagyan ng halaman,” a vaguely familiar voice said.

“Ang tagal pa naman ng mga kasal, bakit naglilipat na sila niyan dito?” another familiar voice groaned.

_ “Bolang, atin na ping kakasal keng December 2.” Gago, meron na ngang ikakasal sa December 2. _ The footsteps stopped, the sudden silence jarring. A pair of warm hands pulled him to a sitting position, making his head spin. “Tay? Anong ginagawa mo dito?”

He mumbled something incoherrently as he cracked his eyes open, his vision swimming as nausea hit him. He caught a glimpse of the girl who was shaking him roughly, and the boy who was standing a little behind her with a confused look on his face. Even in his addled state, he was able to recognize them as Aurora and Nonong.

“Nasa  _ Angeles _ ako?” he said incredulously. He really shouldn’t drink too much unsupervised. He ended up doing ridiculous things.

“Malamang sa malamang.” Aurora let go of his shoulders and her hands flew to his forehead, blissfully oblivious to the fact that he almost flopped right back on the ground. “Tay, ayos ka lang ba?”

Nonong held out his hand and pulled the two of them to their feet.  _ “Balamu ali ya...” Parang hindi siya...  _ he began.

Aurora rolled her eyes, turned to Paulo, and stomped on his foot.

Pain shot through him, made worse by his hangover. Memories from his past life also flooded in - a gunshot, screams, blood. He yelped and clutched his foot, turning pale as he tried not to remember the injury that ended all his adventures.

“Shit, hindi nga si Tatay! Kuya Paulo, ikaw nga ba yan?” Aurora shook his shoulders roughly.

“Ako nga.” He raised his hands to cover his mouth as his stomach roiled angrily, letting its hatred of him be known. He looked around and realized that he was in the central compound where they would be moving into in just less than a week. He patted himself down - everything was accounted for, but it seems like his phone was drained. He didn’t have enough money to catch a bus back to Tarlac either.  _ I have to pull my shit together.  _ “Pwede ba akong makicharge sa bahay niyo? Kailangan kong makausap si Celeste.”

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 8:30 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Well, at least the house was mostly empty.

Jay greeted them with a smile, her red hair tied back in a simple ponytail. She looked so much like Celeste that it  _ hurt _ . There were noticeable differences, like the color of her hair, her darker eyes, the slightly different tone of her equally fair skin, the lack of freckles, but the similarities stood out so much.

She took one look at him before smiling sadly. “Kakatawag lang ni Celeste, nagpapatulong sanang hanapin ka.”

He felt a pang of guilt. He shouldn’t have gone drinking. He should have found a place to wait until they both cooled down. “Well, uh, nahanap niyo na ako.”

“Nagkainitan ka daw ng ulo kagabi?” Jay asked, ushering him into the living room.

“Nakow, LQ yan,” Aurora chirped with a snicker.

“Laklakan queen?” Nonong asked ever so innocently.

She rolled her eyes. “Lovers’ quarrel bes. Tara na huy, tutulungan mo pa ako sa diorama ng org namin!” She took her boyfriend by the hand and dragged him to the garage.

The smell of waffles hit Paulo, wafting from the dining room thanks to the air conditioner. It reminded him of home - not the house they had in Tarlac, but the warm feeling he had around Celeste and Concha as they spent a lazy day together.

There was a small squeaking sound,and he spotted puppies and kittens playing under the stairs. Concha would like that.

_ Focus, gago. _

He turned back to Jay with an apologetic smile as he waved his phone a little helplessly. “Sorry, nalowbat phone ko. Pwede.ba akong makicharge para matawagan ko si Celeste?”

Jay whipped out a smartphone charger and handed it to him with a customary smile. Even  _ that  _ was achingly similar to Celeste’s. “May idadaan ata siya sa Tatay mo, ayaw magpaistorbo. Tawag daw ulit kami after mga isang oras.”

“Ah, oo. Maghihintay nalang ako, wala rin namang magagawa eh.” He remembered that he was supposed to be hanging around his father’s meeting with some real estate clients. With him being in Angeles, Celeste had to do it for him. He hoped no one figured out that they had a fight.

She nodded solemnly and made him sit on a beanbag. She smoothed his hair and stepped back, dark eyes shining with mischief. “So since bisita ka namin, mag relax ka lang diyan. Nag almusal ka na ba?”

His stomach grumbled, as if on cue. “Well, ayan na yung sagot mo,” he said with a laugh.

“Wag kang tatayo diyan,  _ mokong  _ ka,” she said before turning away. Even her walk was a lot like Celeste’s.

He was sure beyond doubt that with friends like these meant that moving to Angeles was a good idea. He just hoped he would reconcile with Celeste soon.


	2. 22

_ He was still standing over his mother’s grave after the funeral, mulling over just how different his life would be now. He was already scheduled to meet with his new tutor the following day, and his father was already making plans for his wedding in a few years. His best friend wasn’t even allowed to accompany her mother whenever the latter did her laundry for the Piqueras household anymore. It was all happening too fast for him to grasp and all he could think of was the fact that he wasn’t liking it. _

_ Celeste found him standing there. _

_ She was dressed like a girl that day, in a tattered white blouse and green skirt. She already hit puberty as a girl of twelve, her breasts and hips becoming more and more prominent with every passing day. Her face was shedding off its youthful roundness, beginning to whisper promises of the beauty she would grow into someday. _

_ “Umiiyak ka parin pala,” she murmured gently, reaching out to wipe some tears from his face. _

_ He didn’t even notice that he was crying until then. He stared at her, biting his lip to keep it from wobbling. “Hindi ko mapigilan.” _

_ She didn’t judge him for it. Instead, she reached out and threw her arms around him, pulling him close and letting him cry his eyes out. _

_ They still met in secret, of course. The woods around town gave them all the space and privacy they needed. Escaping his tutor was easy enough - all he had to do was keep up with his lessons for the day. _

_ A few more years passed as they slowly hit the peak of awkward adolescence. He was sixteen now, still a little too slender and effeminate but much, much taller than Celeste, whose slim frame was slowly filling out into a more voluptuous figure. He was starting to see her as a woman now, and the mere idea made him hot and bothered all over. _

_ They were lying side by side on the forest clearing, staring at the canopy above them. He used to always think about the future as something distant and intangible, but that day felt so different. He could all but see himself marrying her in a few years, starting a family with her, kissing her silly until they were both breathless. _

_ “Naririnig ko nanaman ang mga bulong bulong sa bayan,” she said with a loud sigh. “Na si Padre Hermoso ang ama ko.” _

_ He stared at her, squinting just the slightest as he observed her features. Almost everything about her, from the way her hair curled to her canted eyes and her full, pink lips, were reminiscent of her mother. Then again, her skin was so fair she had faint freckles on her nose, her hair and eyes having the kind of brown that Filipinos didn’t usually have. She was most probably a Spaniard’s child. _

_ And he didn’t care. _

_ “Di mahalaga sa akin kung totoo man yun o hindi. Mas mahalaga parin sa akin na kaibigan kita,” he told her. _

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 9:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Not even Jay’s admittedly great cooking was enough to stave off the guilt and restlessness. Paulo wanted to see Celeste so badly, let her know that he was sorry that he messed up.

Jay sat on another beanbag, a hand on her stomach. She let out a little wince as she stared at him, smiling a little apologetically. “Hindi naman talaga dapat waffles yung niluto ko kaso medyo masama yung pakiramdam ko ngayon. Magpapadeliver naman kami ng sisig para sa lunch.”

“Grabe ka naman, nakakahiya ano ba!” He paused, taking another bite of food. “Saka wala namang masama sa waffles mo ah! Kapampangan na Kapampangan yang cooking mo!”

“Bolero.” She scowled at him before breaking into a surprisingly motherly smile. He thought she as always fiery and warlike. “Nakakaintindi ka ba ng Kapampangan?”

He paused so he could swallow his food before replying, “Oo, pero di ako nakakapagsalita. Kapampangan si Mommy saka si Celeste - madami din kasing Kapampangan sa Tarlac. ”

She nodded along. “Yung side ng mama ko galing din sa Tarlac - kaya nga related kami ng girlfriend mo, diba?” That explained why they had more than just a passing resemblance.

There was a loud metallic clanging on the gates that not even the loud air conditioning units could mask. The pair jumped up from their beanbags, and Paulo curiously peered through the bay window behind him.

A tall woman maybe four or five years older than him stepped into the house. He vaguely remembered her in family reunions and those few times that he visited Angeles with Celeste.  _ Jules _ .

“Ang aga ni Ate ngayon ah!” Jay chirped happily as she threw the front door open and let the new visitor in.

Jules showed her the box she was carrying. “Inani na kasi yung mga  _ pakwan  _ sa Porac.” She caught sight of Paulo and frowned. “Hindi pumasok si Goyong?  _ O metung ya kareng kambal yan?” O isa sa mga kambal yan? _

He made a face.  _ Ilang beses pa akong mapapagkamalan?  _ He didn’t even have the excuse of distant blood relations that the three men he looked like had. “Actually, ako si Paulo - yung pinsan mo?”

“Oh! Yung anak ni Tito Kiko, no? Naaalala na kita, ikaw yung nilagyan ng makeup sa mukha ng mga kapatid mo nooon.” She nodded sagely as she recognized him from an embarrassing childhood memory. “Boyfriend ni Celeste?”

He feigned a look of disappointment. “Ilang beses na akong bumisita dito pero nakakalimutan mo parin?”

“Just checking.” She leaned forward and pinched his cheek, her ample bossom brushing against him briefly in an uncomfortable manner.

He watched her walk away, a small smile in spite of himself.

His phone rang, making him jump up from his beanbag and run to it, answering it without looking at the name. “Hello?”

_ “Ploo!”  _ Celeste’s relieved voice made his heart swell despite the fact that she was using his  _ embarrassing  _ nickname. “Pasensya na talaga sa nangyari kahapon. I want to justify it na hormones lang pero hindi eh. I was an ass.”

“I’m sorry din. Naglasing ako ng ganun ganun lang.” His voice broke and it was all he could do to not to start crying and make a mess. “Nagcheck ako kanina, kulang na yung dala kong pera para makauwi diyan. Nagbus ata ako at nagtrike kagabi.”

“San ka ba nakaabot?” Her voice was soft - too soft. It seemed like they upset each other. “Pwede naman kitang puntahan, iiwan ko nalang sa mga kapatid mo si Concha kung malayo.”

He smiled. It felt great whenever he was reminded of just how much they cared about each other. “I  _ love  _ you,” he said breathlessly. “Actually nasa Angeles ako. Lasing na lasing ako kagabi, hindi ko alam na nagcommute ako hanggang  dun sa magiging bahay natin. Nandito ako ngayon sa bahay nina Jay.”

The sound of her soft sigh tickled his ears. “Mabuti nalang at safe ka. Diyan ka lang, ha? Pupuntahan kita pero baka mamayang gabi na ako makaalis. Ang daming pinapagawa ni Tito Kiko sa akin.”

He felt his stomach drop at the sound of his father’s name. “Alam ba ni Papa yung nangyari?”

“Hindi. Akala niya may sakit ka. Si Bread lang yung may alam, nasakanya din si Concha.” Celeste paused as a muffled voice could be heard on the other line.

He knew that his sister, Bread, could always be trusted with keeping things from their parents every now and then. “Ikaw, oks ka lang ba?”

“I am. Kailangan nating magusap pero mamaya nalang, may pinapakisuyo lang sandali si Papa mo. I love you.” She sounded both excited and worried, which baffled him.

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 9:30 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

It seemed to be a  _ busy  _ day in the household. Jules and Jay were still busy chatting while slicing the watermelons, and Aurora and Nonong were still hard at work on their project in the garage, when someone new arrived.

Another one of Celeste’s fellow babaylans stepped into the living room, running a hand through her blue tresses.  _ Marge. _ She looked around with a catlike grin on her face before catching sight of him playing with his phone. She stopped and stared at him in confusion.

“Julio...?” she began.

_ Here we go again. _ He supposed should have conditioned himself to expect more cases of mistaken identity before Celeste arrived to pick him up. “Nope, Paulo.”

“Ah.” She nodded, as if it explained more than it should have for him, then turned away to flounce further into the house.

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 10:00 AM, Orchids’ Bookstore**

_ Of course  _ he had to jump at the chance to accompany Nonong while he picked up some supplies or another in the  _ cabalenan _ , the central area of the city. He didn’t want to be the awkward visitor who imposed too much on his hosts, and he wanted to see a little more of the area too.

“So, nagaway kayo ni Manang Celeste.” Nonong didn’t phrase it as a question. 

He grinned, a little too taken aback to feel comfortable about showing just how upset he was. “Hindi naman sa away pero...”

“Naglayas ka parin.” Why oh  _ why  _ was Nonong prying so much?

Paulo didn’t mind talking - he barely had any filter most of the time, but the teasing tone in the boy’s voice made him step back. “Look,  _ never  _ kaming nagkaroon ng malaking away ni Celeste. Nagkataon lang na medyo touchy at private yung topic kagabi.”

Thinking about it made his stomach spin - as if reminding him that he did mean well. He wondered if she thought about it after throwing it out. It really wouldn’t have hurt her to try hearing out her father. Maybe it could even help her feel better too.

“Oh.” Nonong’s face fell. Maybe he still had an ounce of sensitivity. “I hope na maging oks na kayo.”

He thought back to the phone call. There was no anger or resentment in it, only relief and so much  _ love _ . He felt the guilt in his gut again. What he did really didn’t sit well with him. Upsetting Celeste  _ and  _ making her feel worried were among the worst things he could do to her.

“Magiging oks din kami.” It still made him curious, the thing she wanted to talk to him about. He hoped it was nothing  _ major _ .

Nonong began to browse through some paintbrushes, a small frown on his face. “Hindi rin naman ako naging  _ ideal _ para kay Aurora.”

“Sa past life o sa present?” He was starting to warm up to the boy, he had to admit.

He made a face. “Both. Pero I’m trying to change. Para sa amin din naman eh.”

It was true. Both parties had to make an active effort to change for the better if they wanted to keep their relationship. He and Celeste were doing that both in their past and present lives.

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 11:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Jay was waiting for him when they returned to the headquarters. She held out a pile of fresh clothes that wouldn’t have looked out of place in his own wardrobe.

“Nakausap ko na so Goyong, papahiramin ka muna ng damit para presko ka,” she said, reaching forward to smooth his hair.

He smiled in spite of himself, noting another similarity with Celeste. He really missed her. “Thank you.” He felt himself choke up at everyone’s kindness. Sure, they knew Celeste, but he was nothing more than a sort of acquaintance.

Jay snorted and shook her head. She crossed her arms and peered at him, an eyebrow raised. Oh, there it was, another minor differences. Jay was a little more  _ aggressive _ than his laid back lover. “Ano ba, walang hiya hiya dito. Pamilya na din namin kayo ni Celeste.”

Despite the fact that he had a loving family back home with Celeste, Concha, his parents, and his siblings, her words still warmed him. They really made the right choice of moving to Angeles. They had people who cared, and who they cared about too. They’ll be just fine.

He still missed Celeste and Concha, though.


	3. Partisan

_ He didn’t know when he started loving her, but he knew when he realized that he did. _

_ He was still sixteen while she was also turning sixteen the following week. The two of them were sitting side by side on the dilapidated roof of her home, staring at the stars. He would have been in trouble his father knew where he really was instead of being asleep in his room. Of course, he never did as he was told, revelling in the smallest bits of rebellion that he could still do. _

_ She had him braid her hair, leaning comfortably against his chest as his deft fingers worked, careful not to tug at her brown locks. “Hindi ka ba nangangamba?” she asked quietly. “Baka ipakasal ka na ng ama mo sa kung sino mang mapili niya para sa iyo.” _

_ He paused to stare at her, aware for the first time of how she made his heart race. “Hindi naman ako papayag na maipakasal kung sino man siya.” _

_ She shifted into a more comfortable position, her warmth tantalizing him, robbing him of all other thoughts aside from her. “Bakit, may iba ka bang gustong pakasalan?” _

_ “Oo.” He knew the answer before she even asked. “Ikaw.” _

_ They kissed under the moon. _

_ ***** _

_ He had just turned seventeen when he lurked by the locked doors that led to the living room, where his father conversed with a wealthy businessman. _

_ “Itong si Binibining Guerrero, ano ba ang tunay na nangyari sakanila ni Miguel Santos?” That was his father, his voice low and calculating. _

_ “May dalawang anak sila ngunit nakay Ginoong Santos ang mga ito. Hindi naman kailangang malaman ng anak mo ang tungkol dito.” The businessman’s voice was oily, unlikeable. _

_ His father paused, as if thinking. “Kailangan namin ang tulong ng mga Guerrero para lumawak ang mga lupain namin. Sige. Sabihin mong pagiisipan ko ng mabuti ito. Hindi ko maaaring palampasin ang pagkakataon.” _

_ ****** _

_ She let him take her maidenhood on a cold, windy night. _

_ He would never forget the rustle of curtains as she let him in through her windows, the soft swishing of her dress which was too big for her. He knew her mother was aware of his nightly visits, but he couldn’t blame her for not doing anything. She must have been hoping that he would find a way to marry Celeste someday, make their lives better for them - and he swore that he will. _

_ “Balak na akong ipakasal ng aking ama kay Isabella Guerrero,” he told her sadly. _

_ She leaned forward, her warmth washing over him. “Alam ko namang hindi ka papayag.” _

_ He wrapped his arms around her waist, knowing full well what they have been planning for days. “Sigurado ka ba? Na isusuko mo na sa akin?” _

_ She narrowed her eyes, as if accepting his challenge. “Hindi ko aatrasan ang mga bagay na ginusto ko, Paulo Piqueras.” She shoved him on the bed before kissing him silly, the little huff of breath that he expelled melding with hers, punctuated by the creaking of her old bed. They made love like the rushing river, powerful and intense. _

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 11:15 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

It was an action packed day. He had just gone down the stairs, dressed in a grungy green shirt and slightly snug jeans. He was finally feeling as fresh as a daisy though the lingering guilt still rumbled in his gut.

Jay and Jules were busy entertaining a newcomer while Nonong and Aurora worked on something in the kitchen. This visitor looked old enough to be his mother, a tall and pretty lady with a pale face and delicate features. She held herself quite elegantly in a way that made Paulo feel the slightest bit homesick.

She smiled at him, though a surprised look of recognition crossed her dark eyes. “You look familiar.”

“Ah, si Miss Carla pala, nanay ni Addie.” Jay waved her hands around in an attempt to introduce them. “Miss Carla, si Paulo po, asawa ng pinsan ko.”

Paulo smiled awkwardly, never really good when it came to dealing with the  _ oldies  _ even when they were easier to understand.  _ Tangina naman this life.  _ “Good morning po.” He really was sure that he’s never met the lady until that day, though.

“Wala ka bang kamag anak na Martial Law activist,  _ hijo? _ ” she went on, squinting at him. “Yung lalake din?”

He wracked his brains for family history. He was sure his grandfather was ill at that time, his father fresh from high school. He had no other male immediate family members. “Wala naman po ata, medyo tago po kami sa Tarlac noon.” It was dangerous to be from Tarlac in the days when the dictator’s greatest enemy came from that province.

“Greg daw yung pangalan niya eh...” Carla’s eyes hardened. “Malambing na bata, pero maraming problema. Namatayan daw ng girlfriend, wala na ring pamilya. Madaming gustong ipaglaban pero hindi yun yung nakakacurious sakanya.”

Jay stiffened, shifting to a familiar defensive stance that Celeste always adopted whenever someone touched a tricky subject. Of course it was a tricky subject - no one outside of their inner circle was supposed to know who Goyong really was.

“Ano pong nakakacurious sakanya?” Jay asked innocently enough.

Carla smiled back, her face  _ too  _ innocent. “Ilang beses na siyang binaril at sinaksak. Natorture na din. Never nila siyang namutilate. Palaging may nangyayari bago siya maputulan ng daliri o ari. TInawag na siyang  _ Multo _ noon kasi wala talagang tumatalab sakanya. Babangon kahit barilin mo sa ulo. Hihingi ng merienda pagkatapos ng electric shocks. Natakot sila, pinakawalan na lang.”

Paulo tilted his head, wanting to help Jay somehow. “Baka naman po urban legend lang po yun.”

“I met him and other witnesses.” Carla shrugged and turned back to her coffee. “Sorry, I was just a little curious - lalo na’t kamukha mo siya, Paulo.”

He was sure he wasn’t related to Goyong or the  _ wonder twins _ . “Interesting nga po.”

Thankfully, Addie arrived right at that moment, followed by Vince.

“Ayan na po pala yung anak niyo,” Jay said, clearly relieved. She exchanged looks with Paulo before standing up, a hand on her stomach. “Magreready lang po ako ng lunch, ah?”

Paulo sprang to his feet, ready to help. “Sama na ako!”

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 11:30 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He couldn’t help but hear the concersation in the living room even as he helped Jay bread the chicken for lunch, carefully mixing three parts tpioca to one part cornstarch and half part baking powder.

“Magkakilala na pala kayo ni Vince,” Carla was saying, her voice oh so casual but laced with just a bit of fierceness.

“Kilala niyo po siya, Mommy?” Addie was asking, her confident voice expertly hiding discomfort. It was too easy to see for people who knew how.

Paulo winced in sympathy, remembering how harrowing it was for him when he met Celeste’s mother for the first time. He knew what Vince and Adela were going through, he really did.

“A-Actually ninang ko yung nanay mo,” Vince pointed out with a nervous little laugh. “So yeah, kilala ko siya.”

“ _ Ikaw  _ yung inaanak na sinasabi ni Mommy?” Adela’s incredulousness broke her composure.

Jay reached over to take the bowl of breading beside him, giving him a sympathetic smile. “Wala na akong magulang by the time na nakilala ko si Goyong so I guess bullet dodged yan.”

“Bullet dodged indeed,” Paulo said with a snort. “Halos iprito na akong nanay ni Celeste.”

She laughed. “Eh siya kamusta naman sa magulang mo?”

He couldn’t help but feel a warm kind of fondness at that memory. “They  _ adored  _ her. May ancestor din kaming Celeste Bernal kasi, kahawig pa niya.”

“Reincarnation indeed.” Jay set to work, coating the chicken one by one with the breading, soaking them up in egg whites, then coating them again. “Nakakatuwa, ano? Na nagkahanapan ulit kayo?”

He stared at Jay, remembering Poleng from 1899. The defeated woman from back then was brimming with confidence and power now. He thought about Goyong and Jukian,Vince and Addie, and Celeste herself. They were all so different now and yet the same but their bonds still remained.

“Nakakatuwa nga.”

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 12:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Not even the smell of the chicken that Jay waa frying and the sisig that they ordered were enough to stop his hamgover from giving him one last salvo. He could feel the bile coming up even as he went up the stairs, looking for a vacant restroom.  _ Why oh why _ did Aurora have to lock herself in the restroom by the kitchen at the worst possible time?

He found the door to the master’s bathroom unlocked. He was so  _ desperate  _ to find a place to peacefully throw up in that he threw the door open roughly and marched in, bumping into a  _ naked Nonong. _

The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Paulo promptly threw up on the boy and blacked out.

He ended up propped up on a vacant bed before he knew it, Vince and Adela watching over him whike Jay and Aurora were scolding Nonong’s ears off. The last dredges of vomit-inducing nausea was gone, but he still felt a little weak and queasy.  _ Di na talaga ako iinom ng mag-isa _ .

“Hinatid lang namin palabas si Mommy, ganito na nga naabutan namin,” Adela said, hands on her hips.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, sitting up and briefly closing his eyes to fight off the faintness.

It made him miss Celeste and the eay they always fussed over each other.

“Minsan na nga lang ako mag-day off, sobrang  _ interestinv _ pa yung mga pangyayari,” Vince noted, handing him a steaming mug of tea. “Peppermint tea yan. Sabi ni Tatay maganda oara sa sikmura.”

“Thanks.” He took a sip and hoped it worked. “Pasensya na, nakakaabala pa ako.”

“Don’t worry, we’re actually  _ enjoying _ ourselves,” Addie told him smugly.

Jay strode over to them and ruffled his hair in a way reminiscent of how he ruffled his sisters’ hair. He wouldn’t mind having her as a sister too. “Masyado na kasing  _ normal  _ mga buhay namib magmuka nung mawala si Dolores kaya natutuwa kami pag may kakaibang ganap.”

_ Kakaibang ganap.  _ That perfectly summed up his unexpected arrival in Angeles.

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 12:45 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

The chicken was great, sisig from the original - Aling Lucing’s - a little to boney but otherwise fantastic.

He was busy helping Aurora clean up the table after lunch when his phone rang. He was so engrossed in stacking the olates together that he almost jumped up in surprise at the sound of it.

“Sige na, baka si Ate Celeste na yan. Ako na bahala dito.” Aurora gave him the  _ side eye _ as he withdrew with his phone.

“Ploo?’ It was, indeed, Celeste. “I’m sorry, nakaabala ba ako?”

“Never.” He wanted to see her so much, just sit beside her and chat all day. “I miss you, Cee.”

“I miss you din.” She didn’t even bristle at the silly high school nickname. “Hihintayin ko lang magising si Concha tapos didiretso na kami diyan.”

He felt ashamed of causing so much trouble for her, but he swallowed it down, tried to cover it up with the excitement of seeing her again. “I’m not going anywhere.”

A little chuckle escaped her lips. It was so easy to imagine what she looked like at the moment. “Basta pagtira mo ako ng sisig or else...” She paused, taking a deep breath. “We really need to talk about something important talaga mamaya.  _ Good news _ . Pero mas maganda ata kung harap harapan kong sabihin sayo para masaya.”

He feigned an irritated groan. “Parang gusto mo lang talaga akong masuspense eh! Gumaganti ka ba sa akin, ha?”

“Revenge is sweet.” It was so easy to picture the draconian smile on her face. “Sige ha, kakain muna ako habang natutulog pa si Concha.”

“Eat well.” He still felt like he was glowing as they ended the call. He was already feeling better, and he really couldn’t wait until he can be with Celeste and Concha again.


	4. Home

_“Kung mag-aalok ako ng kasal, papayag ka ba?” he asked._

_They were both nineteen, curled up together under the warm blankets of his bed. It was just the two of them, no rumormongers, no servants, no parents who might meddle. They were at home in each other’s arms, away from society’s judgemental eye, away from the whispers of revolution that wished to sway them both to its cause._

_She looked up at him, her brown eyes seemingly searing through his soul. “Oo naman. Kung maaari lamang,” she told him sadly. “Hindi papayag ang ama mo.”_

_He smirked. “Sinong nagsabing kailangan niyang malaman?”_

* * *

_Padre Anghel Hidalgo, the town friar, was a kind, jolly middle aged man that everyone unanimously adored. He was tall and lean, his curly brown hair framing his cheery elfin face that was smattered lightly with freckles. He peered at Paulo curiously as the younger man strode into his study dramatically._

_“Anong problema, hijo?” he asked, setting down his book and standing up._

_“Kailangan ko po ng iyong basbas.” Paulo was banking on the fact that the town rumors were true - and that the priest in front of him was as kind and loving to everyone as he seemed. “Alam ko pong ipinangako ako ng aking ama sa iba ngunit nais ko pong pakasalan si Celeste.”_

_“Si Celeste?” Padre Hidalgo’s eyes lit up. “Kaibigan mo siya, hindi ba? Mahal mo ba siya?”_

_He didn’t have to hear that question to know what he would say. “Opo. Higit pa sa aking buhay.”_

_The friar bowed his head, as if in prayer. “Tutulungan ko kayo, basta ipangako mong iingatan mo at pangangalagaan ang aking anak.”_

* * *

_The couple married in secret a little less than a month later using rings hastily commissioned by Padre Hidalgo himself, who also officiated the quiet ceremony. Paulo and Celeste rode off to southern Tarlac shortly after that on a pair of plain black horses, heading for their new lives._

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 1:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

It was, indeed, an action packed day for Paulo, though Aurora kept assuring him that it was a perfectly normal, nigh _boring_ day for the household.

“Alam mo kasi, Kuya, kung maaksyon na araw to... kanina pa kami may nilalabanan na mga anino. O kaya si Dolores mismo. Pwede ring mga assholes sa daan.” Aurora shrugged before pulling off her loose shirt, revealing a tank top under it.

He sat on one side of the enclosed bit of open space, a layer of tarpaulin serving as a makeshift roof that protected them all from harsh sunlight. He watched as Aurora and Jay took on fighting stances, practicing some self defense moves. It reminded him, yet again, of Celeste. _Paulit ulit na ata ako._

There was a loud clanging - the sound of the gates opening - making him shoot off his chair and back on his feet. “Ako nang titingin kung anong meron.”

He hopped out of the little entrance, past the side passage to the garden, and to the garden - just in time to see who just came in. Tina del Rosario and Marge de Jesus were back, walking through the garden, happily chatting with each other. They stopped at the sight of him, grinning.

“Nakita niyo na ako kanina, wag niyong sasabihing mapapagkamalan niyo ulit ako,” he said with a little whine.

Marge smiled sweetly at him. “No worries, Kuya Paulo. Di ka na mauulit yun.”

Tina stared at him with a grin. “So, nag-umpisa na ba sa sparring sina Jay at Au? Dapat di naman kasi kami umalis kanina kaso me biglang tumawag sa akin na nagpapacommission.”

“Kakaumpisa pa lang nila. So do you stick together din gaya ng mga boyfriend niyo?” Paulo asked, leading them to the backyard.

Marge shrugged. “Kailangan daw ng exercise pag buntis ka. Sumama ako para makapag lakad lakad.”

He fondly recalled Celeste’s successful attempts to maintain an active lifestyle despite her pregnancy. “Wala namang masama dun. So, ano tong training session na to?”

“Kinda regular to, para magawa naman naming magmaintain ng katawan namin.” Tina explained with a warm smile. “Besides, pupunta nanaman si _sensei_ dito mamaya para sunduin ka, diba? Di kami pwedeng mapahiya sakanya, ano ba.”

 _Sensei._ It sounded pleasantly appropriate, given that Celeste passed on an ancient, almost dying art to them, imparting everything she could in around a month instead of the usual decades. It was amazing, how all five women stepped up to the challenge.

They found Jay and Aurora still sparring, their fluid movements powerful, dangerous, if it weren’t for the fact that it was a harmless session. They stopped as they approached though, rushing to greet the newcomers. Seeing the way everyone treated each other like one big family - warm and loving and never running out of banter - cemented the fact that Paulo and Celeste made a good choice when they decided to move in.

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 3:15 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

The sparring just finished for the meantime when Goyong pulled up in the driveway. Looking at the time, it seemed like he drove like a _madman_ just to make it to the house quickly, bringing a big box of pastries from the cafe. He looked bemused when Paulo threw the back door open for him like a bellboy, which was understandable.

“Agad agad akong umuwi kasi ang daming bisita ngayon. Baka magutom kayo,” he said cheerily, sounding like it wasn’t a hassle at all. Seeing just how everyone treated everyone else all day, it was so easy to believe that it wasn’t just an act.

Still, Paulo couldn’t help but laugh and scratch his head. “Medyo nakakahiya nga, nagkalat na ako, pinahiram mo pa ako ng damit.”

Goyong raised a brow. “Anong nakakahiya dun? Tinulungan niyo rin naman kami nung nasa Tarlac kami.”

“Ah, Tarlac.” He wasn’t exactly there, though he was kept up to date over everything that happened when Jay led the misadventures there, culminating in her visit to Poleng’s grave. “Hindi naman namin kayo matitiis.”

“Hindi rin namin kayo matitiis,” Goyong shot back, setting down the box on the dining table. “Naaalala ko rin yung Tarlac, _1899._ ”

 _Brings back memories, ano_? It was hard to forget the shenanigans they got into back then. “Brings back memories nga.”

Jay strode over to join them, throwing her arms around Goyong and flashing him a cheeky grin before giving him a peck on the lips and pulling away. “Wala pa bang balita kung anong oras dadating si Celeste?”

Goyong’s phone rang loudly at that moment, playing _Tatsulok_ by Bamboo of all songs. “Si Supremo,” the boy general mumbled before he pulled out his device and answered the call.

Jay turned to Paulo, looking baffled. “Dating member ng Sto. Rosario police station sina Kuya Andoy a t yung asawa niyang si Ate Oryang. Nakaassign na sila sa Pulung Maragul ngayon. Pag tumawag yan either emergency yan or magyayaya ng dinner.”

“Supremo?” Paulo found himself asking. “Wag mong sasabing nareincarnate din siya!”

“Even better.” She grinned, baring her teeth in a way he did when he found something amusing and _cool_. “Para siyang si Goyong.”

“May inaresto kang babae na parang si Jay pero hindi si Jay? Blonde na parang Goldilocks ampeg? May dalang _baby_ ?” Goyong gave his companions the side eye. “Oo, kilala namin siya. Kasama bamin yung nobyo niyang parang ako, at su Julian, at si Julio, pero _hindi_ kami.”

 _Celeste._ What did she do to get arrested?

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 3:45 PM, Brgy. Pulung Maragul**

They left the house at record speed.

Paulo barely processed everything, not even the fact that they were on the same car model that he was looking into getting as a wedding gift for Celeste. All he cared about was that they were heading to a _police station_ of all places. That didn’t bode well.

The station itself was small and surprisingly cozy, dispelling his mental image of imposing places where criminals were dragged off to be killed. Maybe it was because the _Supremo_ himself was there to make things better, even just a little.

The policeman on the reception desk looked up at them with feigned boredom on his face. “Kayo pala,” he said with a sigh, sounding _done_.

Goyong grinned at him, pleasant yet threatening. “ _Good_ afternoon, Manolo. Nasaan ang Supremo?”

“Pintuan sa may kaliwa ko, second door on the right.” Manolo turned back to his newspaper, waving them off.

Goying and Jay exchanged looks before ushering Paulo through the aforementioned door.

“Anong nakain nun?” Jay mused, patting her crimson hair down self consciously. _“Ali ya makabusit ngeni.” Hindi siya nakakabuwisit ngayon._

Goyong shrugged. “Ba, hindi ako babaylan. Mas lalong hindi ko alam. Tanungin nalang natin si Adela mamaya.”

Paulo tried to rack his brains for any memory of the name. “Manolo, as in Manolo Reyes?” He remembered hearing about the man in the old days, but never met him in person. He sounded more annoying than a bored, glorified receptionist.

“Oo. Naninibago nga rin kami.” Goyong let out a tiny, amused laugh.

They opened the door to a small detainment room, where _Andres Bonifacio_ himself was waiting for them. He was seated comfortably on a sturdy wooden chair across the table from Celeste, who was carrying a giggling Concha with one hand and sipping coffee with the other.

A man was standing behind bars on one side of the room,staring at them with sleazy sullenness. He was good looking, tall and chiseled like a statue, his thick hair dyed to match skin the color of bronze. “Nandito pala yung _totoo_ kong ex,” he proclaimed dramatically, eyes peering at Jay.

"Does that make any difference?" Celeste snarled from her spot, making Concha squeak. "Nangharass ka ng tao - sa pa tapat mismo ng police station. Douche move yun, bro."

Jay bared her teeth at him. "Magtigil ka na nga, Miguel."

Miguel raised his brows, clearly confused. "Hindi ko ba  _right_ yun? Maganda ka, sexy."

 _"Fuck off."_ Celeste turned to Paulo, giving him a beatific smile. "Mas maganda siguro kung sa labas nalang tayo mag-usap usap, ano?"

Paulo couldn't keep his hands off her as they all left the man to his devices and moved to another -  _blissfully empty_ \- detainment room. Celeste leaned into his embrace, grinning as the baby in her arms smiled in contentment. It was pretty  _perfect_.

"So, anong nangyari dito?" he finally asked as they all settled down.

"Malamang nambibiktima nanaman yung  _magaling kong ex_ ," Jay growled, vehemence leaking through her usually pleasant if rough demeanor.

"Yep, ganun na nga. Wala man siyang pake na may buhat akong bata. Hinawakan yung boob ko." Celeste scowled. "Sinuntok ko siya kaso, uh,  _napalakas._ "

"Napalakas." Andoy snorted and shook his head. "Sa sobrang lakas ng suntok mo, nagkaroon ng yupi yung isa sa mga police cars namin."

"So inaresto mo sila pareho?" Paulo asked, wondering if he had to pay the bail or something. It was going to be a first - a very  _interesting_ first. He always thought that he was the rebel.

"For formality lang. Medyo... naguluhan din ako kasi akala ko siya si Jay." Andoy grimaced and shook his head. "She's free to go."

Goyong turned to Celeste. "Ano nga bang ginagawa mo dito?"

"Makikigamit sana ako ng restroom para palitan yung, uh..." Celeste turned pink. "Yung diaper ni Concha."

**Thursday, 10-25-2016, 4:30 PM, Brgy. Pulung Maragul**

Of course they had to do it - let the others play with Concha while they snuck away to an unused and surprisingly clean restroom under some pretense. It felt great, having each other again after just a few hours of accidental separation, sweat and voices and skin and heat reminding them of what they missed.

They were far away from Tarlac but they were  _home_.

"Namiss kita," she growled as they finished, pushing him against the wall before giving him her tightest hug.

He hugged her back as best as he could even if he was pinned, grinning from ear to ear. "Namiss din kita. At si Concha."

They were home, indeed.


	5. Stone's Throw

_ He enjoyed his new life a lot. Living with Celeste in her father’s property in Bamban was different from what he was used to, but he didn’t mind it. They woke up at dawn for an early breakfast before setting off to the marketplace to sell the suman and other kakanin that they made the previous night, and the fruits they harvest from the property’s orchards. It was hard work - the kind that other boys raised the way he was would have quailed at - but he was actually happier. _

_ Of course, trouble always came when he least expected it. _

_ The two of them retired to their bed early that peaceful night. It was raining hard outside, the wind blowing through the capiz windows cold and harsh. He had his arms around Celeste’s shivering form, doing his best to keep her warm. _

_ “Paano kung mahanap tayo ng ama mo?” she asked him, like she always did almost every night. _

_ “Hindi naman sasabihin ng ama mo ang kinaroroonan natin.” He said it with much conviction despite fear at the back of his head telling him that things can and will go wrong at the worst possible moment. _

_ She didn’t seem to be satisfied by his answer this time, though. “Paano kung subukan niya tayong paghiwalayin? Paano kung may - may ginawa siya sa ama ko?” _

_ “Edi hahanapin natin ang isa’t isa.” He pulled her closer, the fear quietly nibbling its way through him. _

_ The raging storm was not enough to fully mask the sudden sound of commotion outside. The sound of horses traversing the muddy ground and the loud voices of men broke through the peace. _

_ The couple got on their feet in a heartbeat. _

_ He grabbed the knife concealed under the bed and held his breath as he heard the door break down. There was the noise of breaking vases. Paulo looked back at the window behind them - their only form of escape. They were too high up to even attempt jumping. _

_ The bedroom door flew open to reveal his father and unfamiliar men - most definitely not townspeople back home or workers in his lands. He stared at them wordlessly, eyes filled with rage. The men behind him pointed guns at the pair. _

_ Two men moved forward and grabbed Celeste, as quick as lightning. Paulo raised his knife in an attempt to fight back but another one of the men hit the back of his head, knocking him out. _

**Thursday, 10-25-16, 5:00 PM, Marquee Mall**

Going to the mall was pretty much expected. After all, it was just a five minute walk away from the police station. The two couples walked through the moderately crowded area, basking in the blissful coolness that followed them the moment they entered the place. It was still unforgivingly hot outside, despite the fact that the Ber months already arrived.

Paulo was grinning from ear to ear. He was  _ home _ now, with Celeste and Concha by his side. The day was a roller coaster for him but he hoped that it would end on a high note.

“TInawagan ko na sina Tina at Marge, pati na rin yung mga kambal,” Goyong was saying happily as they passed by a shawarma stall, the smell making everyone’s stomachs rumble. “Papunta na daw sina Aurora at Nonong eh.”

Paulo cocked his head. “Anong meron?”

Jay flashed him an angelic grin. “Well, reunion dinner ng mga babaylan.”

“Hindi ba palagi naman kayong nagkikita kita?” he asked, confused.

She nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “That doesn’t mean na hindi na kami pwedeng magyaya ng dinner kapag kumpleto kami, diba?”

Celeste giggled. “Totoo yan. Madalang na lang ngang may  _ barkada time _ , besides napagusapan na din naman namin yung phone hunting nung minsan kaya ngayon na namin gagawin yun.”

Paulo grinned. Barkada time used to just be him and Celeste and the few other kids who would dare befriend the rich businessman’s son and the  _ American girl _ . Most kids back home in Tarlac were intimidated by him and put off by Celeste’s appearance and family background. It was so different from the kind of warm acceptance that the team in Angeles gave them. No one batted an eyelash at them and simply welcomed them into their squad with open arms.

“Kayo na daw hahawak sa real estate business ng papa mo dito sa Angeles?” Goyong asked curiously. “Hindi ko nakahiligan yan kahit marami akong naging raket noong araw.”

He had to admit, he also hated the family business back then, but grew to love it sometime before he finished high school. It didn’t stop him from getting a degree in History, though. “Yun naman kasi talaga yung reason bakit lilipat kami dito sa Pampanga. Pero oks naman ako sa real estate, kilala ko na yung mga employees namin dito.”

**Thursday, 10-25-16, 6:15 PM, Marquee Mall**

He ended up roaming the mall, Concha in tow, with Nonong and the del Pilars after a quick snack while their lovers ran off to complete their phone shopping. It was the first time he actually had proper friends outside of Celeste to hang out with - the other members of his  _ barkada  _ were people he hung around with only in the schoolyard.

“Kamusta naman so far yung stay mo sa Angeles?” Nonong asked casually as they strode through clothing shops. “Nag-eenjoy ka naman ba?”

“The food is good saka nandito kayo so sigurado na akong oks na oks lang ako dito. Masaya din sina Celeste at Concha dito kaya walang wala akong mairereklamo,” he said honestly.

Julio chuckled at him, eyes glittering. “Naks, family man na family man talaga yung peg mo, ano? Keep up mo lang yan.”

The ladies were waiting for them outside a gadget shop, clutching identical paper bags. Concha snuggled closer to her father at the sight of Celeste, making it clear that she did not want her mother to carry her just yet.

“Kamusta shopping niyo?” Julian called out, grinning at them.

“Parepareho kami ng biniling phone,” Tina told him with a laugh. “Nag-iba iba nalang kami ng kulay para hindi kami malito.”

That was met with a round of laughter from the other ladies - it seemed like they had an inside joke of some sort. Of course, no one minded it. It was great to see everyone at ease, sure that no one was mocking them behind their backs - or even under their very noses.

They haven’t moved in yet but their new friends were already making Angeles feel even more like  _ home _ to them.

“Bago tayo umuwi daan lang sandali tayo sa MAC, may titignan lang kami,” Marge said giddily, sounding like a child on Christmas eve.

“Sumasama lang ako sakanila kaya  _ wala akong kinalaman diyan, _ ” quipped Aurora.

“Wag ka nang pakipot,” Jay told her with a chuckle. “Ibibili din kita ng lipstick.”

Aurora’s half-feigned complaints followed them as they headed downstairs to the central area in the ground floor.

“First time kong nakitang magshopping na may kasamang iba si Celeste. Since high school kasi kami lang halos yung magkasama,” mused Paulo. Watching his lover smile at their new friends, happily discussing the merits of brown lipstick, he knew that she was having the time of her life.

Concha started giggling and pulling at his nose, but he didn’t complain.

Nonong shot him a thoughtful look. “Best friends turned lovers pala kayo ah.”

He still remembered the short girl in loose clothes, hiding in the boys’ restroom. Both of them have made it so far. “Oo.”

“Kung kayo palagi yung magkasama noon, madalang ka lang din lumarga na hindi siya yung kasama mo ano?” noted Julian.

“Marami akong mas batang kapatid - mga babae lahat,” he admitted. “Pero madalang nga lang akong lumarga na may kasamang ibang kaibigan.”

Julio exchanged looks with his brother before turning back to their guest, a mischievous, curious grin on his face. “Anong pakiramdam na kami yung kasama mong gumagala imbes na si Manang Celeste?”

There was no need to think about the answer, really. “Masaya kahit na medyo nakakapanibago,” he admitted as he hefted his child.

They gave him approving looks. The smiles that accompanied them sealed the deal.

**Thursday, 10-25-16, 7:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

It was that quiet moment in between the day’s last spurts of activity and dinner. Paulo found himself sitting beside Celeste on the staircase while everyone else bustled with activity around them, little Concha napping in her father’s arms.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted out as they watched Jay and Marge poring over something they were cooking. “Pinangunahan kita kahapon.”

She smiled and put a hand on his thigh, giving it a quick squeeze that sent rabid flutters down his stomach. “I’m sorry din. Nagpauna ako sa galit.” She leaned against him, a contented sigh escaping her lips. “Napagisipan ko rin naman kasi ung sinabi mo at may point ka. Kahit na galit ako sakanya, wala naman sigurong masama kung kakausapin ko yung tatay ko.”

He shifted to make sure Concha was comfortable before turning to her. “Wala naman pero sigurado ka ba diyan? Diba galit na galit ka sakanya?”

“I know.” Her voice was but a whisper, reverberating through his bones, down to his soul. “Pero tama naman kasi yung sinabi mo. Kailangan kong maging reasonable.”

“So anong balak mo niyan?” he asked. They accepted the offer to spend the night in Angeles, but the next day was a brand new adventure.

She tensed. “I told him to meet me dito sa Angeles. Nasa may Clark lang naman pala siya.”

Well, it seemed like their stay was going to be extended.  _ Good.  _ “Nandito lang kami ni Concha, ha?”

That was enough to make her relax again. “Thank you.”

They lapsed into comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other’s presence. They both loved talking, their little house in Tarlac often echoing the conversations and banter they traded whenever both of them were home - and yet the silences they shared spoke volumes too.

“May dapat nga pala akong sabihin,” she said after a few minutes, sitting up straight and making him look her in the eye. “Buntis ulit ako.”

He was stunned into silence, mouth dropping open in surprise. His mind blanked out for a split second before joy and excitement rushed in. People will judge, he knew, but he didn’t care. They had no  _ right  _ to judge people for being happy, for doing nothing wrong.

He realized that he broke into an ear splitting grin. “So magiging ate na si Concha?” He was already excited at the prospect of adding another kid to their brood, and more.  _ Pero wag nang sampu ulit, Dios mio Marimar _ .

She smiled, a look of relief lighting up her face. “Natakot ako ma baka magalit ka.”

“Ang tagal na nating magkakilala, iisipin mo parin na magagalit ako?” he said with a laugh.

She echoed her laughter and leaned forward to give him a little kiss. “Sorry naman po.”

They returned to their comfortable silence, spending quite a while simply enjoying each other’s presence. Concha let out a contented little sound as she snuggled against her father, her stubby little fist clutching his shirt.

Loud footfalls resounded behind them as Adela made her way down the stairs, hair glistening wet. It looked like she just finished her shower. She gave them warm smiles as she approached and bent over to give Concha a gentle pat. “Kuya Paulo, Ate Celeste,” she said in greeting. “Good to see you all together again.”

Paulo winked at her. “Siyempre naman, good boy na din ako para di siya nagagalit.”

Celeste rolled her eyes. “Good boy my ass. Ah, alam mo ba, we never got to properly thank you noong past lives natin - kasi pinagkita mo ulit kami.”

Adela raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. “It was the  _ past _ , anyway.”

The couple exchanged looks. Celeste rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a brand new lipstick. “MAC Velvet Teddy. Sa tingin ko babagay sayo yan.”

Addie’s mouth dropped open, but she quickly regained her composure. “Ang mahal nito, bakit nagabala ka pa?”

Celeste raised her brows. “Wala namang masamang magbigay ng regalo kahit na hindi naman niyan mapapantayan yung ginawa mo para sa amin noon. Besides, Antique Velvet ang suot kong lipstick at magkalapit yung pangalan and I think that’s cute.”

Addie bowed her head and held the lipstick close, a surprisingly timid smile on her face. “Thank you.”

The pair watched her walk down the the stairs with a subtle spring in her step. It was true - they never could repay the help she gave them in the past.


	6. Kings and Queens

_ He was back in his father’s estate when he woke up, and the only thing his father told him was that Celeste was dead. Everything he fought for - and would have continued fighting for - came crashing down around him. It was so easy to believe the man’s words, knowing the resources he had, knowing the kind of men he brought with him to Bamban. _

_ He kept to his room, weeping and mourning, let his father lock him up there. He sullenly let himself get dragged to meet the girl that his father wanted him to marry now that he was unfortunately a bachelor again. He barely ate, barely slept, using most of his time for plotting. _

_ He made his escape through the window on a rainy December, the eve before he was supposed to be wed against his will. _

* * *

_ His plain cream skirt swayed with the breeze as he walked through the tense streets of Manila, a bilao of suman clutched by one hand, the other making sure the green scarf on his head was in place. _

_ It was so easy to discard Paulo Piqueras, the runaway heir, and ease into the role of Lina Roman, the ridiculously tall but pretty suman vendor who gathered information for the revolution. _

_ The headquarters was empty that lazy Monday afternoon, save for a pair of teenagers hovering over a desk, arguing in hushed voices. They both looked up as he approached and he recognized them as Adela Reyes and Vicente Enriquez. _

_ “Di pa ba kayo magmemerienda?” he asked. _

_ The two gave each other long stares - one a little tired, the other nervous and awed. _

_ “Magkano ba yang suman niyo, Ate Lina?” Adela finally asked. _

_ Paulo held in his laughter at the child’s innocent innuendo. He set down his wares on the table, grinning at them. “Ano ba kayo?” It was so hard to keep his voice feminine now that he already shed off the last vestiges of puberty. “Alam niyo namang basta kayo libre, diba?” _

_ “Eh nakakahiya naman yan! Diba yan lang yung hanap buhay niyo?” Vicente said, wide eyed. _

_ He smiled at them and shook his head. “Wag na kayong makulit! Ilang beses ko nang inuulit na libre.” _

_ As Vicente reached over to get some food, Adela approached Paulo, clutching a pretty red ribbon. “Gusto ko sanang magpatulong na ayusin ang buhok ko.” _

_ His stomach churned as he remembered Celeste and the way he used to braid her hair. He missed her, regretted that he wasn’t able to protect her better. Joining the revolution was not enough atonement. It never could bring her back. _

_ “Halika,” he finally relented, sitting down on a vacant chair. “Ako nang bahala sa buhok mo.” _

_ Adela bobbed over happily, sitting down in front of him and leaning back as far as she could. “Yung magandang maganda dapat, ha?” _

_ “Bakit ka nagpapaganda ngayon? Para kay Kuya ba?” Vicente asked sourly as he settled down on the table itself, a dark look crossing his face. _

_ “Nagpapaganda ang mga binibini para sa sarili nila. At wala kang karapatang makialam doon,” Paulo pointed out tartly. “Wala ka ring karapatang makialam kung may hinahangaan itong si Adela.” _

_ The entrance opened and Anacleto Enriquez in the flesh strode in, confident and dashing. He flashed them all a bright smile. “Enteng, Adela... Suman.” _

_ “May pangalan ako, Senyor Enriquez,” Paulo said idly as he started working on Adela’s hair, carefully brushing her hair like a mother would with her child. _

_ Anacleto merely smiled, waved him off, and headed further into the headquarters, leaving the three of them to their own devices again. _

* * *

 

_ He really had no idea why he was assigned in Laguna, of all places, armed only with a knife and a gun concealed in the folds of his skirts. _

_ He had just seen another spy die - a woman garbed like a man. They put a bullet cleanly through her head and ordered the church’s wash lady to take care of the corpse. Of course, the wash lady was a man, and he was a spy. Paulo could barely stomach his rage as he buried the body in the garden at the witching hour, trying hard not to shudder and weep and throw up at the same time. _

_ Every dead woman he saw was Celeste all over again _ .

**Thursday, 10-25-16, 8:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Celeste’s cousin, Jose, passed a tray of brownies around the dinner table, a smug look on his face. “Ako gumawa niyan,” he said, all but glowing with pride as everyone else started nibbling.

“Not bad,” Celeste chirped happily, making a small sigh of contentment.

Paulo focused on the chocolate, trying hard not to  _ vibrate  _ and let everyone know just how bad his sweet tooth was. He could feel Jay and Vince staring at him while big grins lit up their faces and he knew beyond doubt that they also had a sweet tooth and knew his struggles.

“May karibal na pala kami ni Nanay sa mga sweets,” Vince said, a mischievous look lighting up his eyes.

His older brother, Etong, nodded sagely from across the table, shoveling the brownie into his mouth. “Walang gaanong langgam dito kasi nandito naman sina Jay at Vince.  _ Daig de pa ing panas pag ating mayumu.” Daig pa nila yung mga langgam pag merong matamis _ .

Everyone around the table snorted in laughter at that, even Celeste.

She glanced at Paulo with glittering eyes. “Well, may giant langgam din naman ako sa bahay, hindi ba, Ploo?”

That made everyone break into good natured laughter yet again.

“Bakit nga ba Ploo yung tawag sayo niyang si Manang, ha?” Rusca asked, narrowing his eyes in mischief.

Celeste was definitely amused by the question. “Yun yung tawag sakanya sa bahay nila. Pakana daw nung isa sa mga younger sisters niya ”

Etong gasped dramatically. “Ang cutesy naman ng nickname mo.”

“Cutesy? Hah!” Paulo remembered how his classmates laughed at him when they heard his sisters call him  _ that _ . Only Celeste didn’t, simply asking why he got the nickname before casually using it too. Despite thinking the monicker was embarrassing, he couldn’t help but feel secretly pleased when she used it, though.

“Eh ikaw, Celeste?” Jose asked in between bites from his brownie. “Wala ka bang kakaibang nickname?”

She shrugged. “Di naman kakaiba yung  _ Cee _ , pero si Ploo at si Mama lang ang tumatawag sa akin nun.”

**Thursday, 10-25-16, 11:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

It was a long day. Neither Paulo nor Celeste raised any complaints about turning in early, their daughter curled up comfortably behind them. They were given the rooms recently vacated by the Bernal brothers, who just moved into new homes with their respective partners.

“Kinakabahan ako,” Celeste admitted quietly, her voice so soft that it was barely audible over the constant hum of the air conditioner. “Paano kung hindi naman pala maayos na kausap yung tatay ko? Paano kung wala naman siyang balak na maganda?”

He reached over to tuck stray locks of her golden hair behind her ear. “You worry too much. Hindi pa natin alam yung motibo niya, saka hindi naman healthy yang pagooverthink.”

She fell quiet, staring at him as she made an anxious bite on her lip. “Sorry.”

“Bakit ka nagpapasorry?” He felt his gut rumbling, as if it was telling him that he just said something wrong.

She paused, eyes downcast. “Siguro yung  _ hormones  _ lang to. Buntis nga naman ako eh.”

“Sa tingin ko nga.” He worriedly touched her abdomen, as if he could already feel the baby growing in it. 

She shifted and put her hand over his, keeping it in place, contentment pouring out of her very being. “Wag ka nang maglalayas ng ganun ulit, ha? Tinakot mo kami ni Bread. Alam kong naramdaman din ni Concha yun.”

The feeling of guilt squirming in his gut reared its ugly head, making him quail.  _ Ang tanga tanga mo, Paulo Piqueras. Ang tanga tanga mo talaga. _ “I’m sorry ulit. Seryoso. Hindi ko na talaga uulitin yun.”

“Dapat lang.” They fell quiet until her warm smile beguiled him, lulled him into falling asleep.

_ He dreamed of 1895 for the first time since remembering everything when he was thirteen. _

_ He dreamed of Padre Hidalgo giving him permission to marry the friar’s daughter. The kindly friar’s voice was just as he remembered - deep, reassuring, warm. _

_ He dreamed of the secret wedding, the quiet exchange of rings, the secretive looks the couple and the friar exchanged. Everything was as hushed and as urgent as they did in his well of memories. _

_ He dreamed of his father boasting to during dinner, that first night back in Bamban after being torn away from Celeste. His father boasted of frustratedly torturing the defiant friar to death. He laughed at the stroke of inspiration that led him to search for his son and his now apparently dead wife in the Friar’s estates, mocked the young couple’s stupidity. _

_ He dreamed of looking out a window and seeing Padre Hidalgo staring at him, his eyes flashing red like a ghastly omen. _

**Friday, 10-26-16, 7:30 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

The household bustled with early morning activity. Like the previous day, everyone refused to let their  _ guests  _ do any chore for them, insisting that they relax themselves. It really went against the visitor’s etiquette - to make sure one was not much of a hassle to their host - but the gesture spoke volumes about Team Hijo de Puta’s collective character.

Paulo ended up lounging on a beanbag with Celeste, who was preoccupied with breastfeeding a fussy Concha. He languidly watched Jay’s new pets - four Siberian Husky puppies and four Maine Coon kittens - romping around. He vaguely wondered if  _ babaylan magic  _ had a hand in training them. Concha would be delighted to play with them once she grew up a little more.

“Kanina mo pa tinitignan yang mga alaga nila.” Celeste looked up, a quizzical look on his face. “Let me guess. Sinusubukan mong tignan kung ginamitan ng powers yung mga yan, ano?”

He nodded, reminded again of just what he, as a very regular, _ garden variety human being _ , lacked. Babaylans had a myriad of magic skills for mundane and grander purposes that he would never fathom. It made him prouder of Celeste.

“Diba mas madali nga namang itrain mga yan kung may powers ka?” he explained.

“True. Sa tingin ko ginamitan nga ng magic ni Jay mga yan para mainfluence yung training nila.” She paused, as if hesitating. “Nanaginip ako kagabi.”

“Anong napanaginipan mo?” He felt the quiet tug of apprehension in his gut.

She pursed her lips as Concha pulled away from her. “Yung pagtanong sa akin noon ni Padre Hidalgo kung sigurado na ako sa pagpapakasal sayo. Napanaginipan ko din yung kasal natin noon, saka yung pagyayabang ng mga tayhan ng tatay mo sa ginawa nila sa Padre.” She paused, then shuddered. “Tapos nakita ko si Padre Hidalgo na parang naging pula yung mata. Creepy.”

“May hawig yan sa mga naging panaginip ko,” he admitted. “Lalo na yung mukha ni Padre Hidalgo. Creepy nga. Pero sana coincidental lang na mga panaginip.”

“Sana nga,” she mused, not wanting to voice out the same fears he also had.

They both sincerely hoped that the dreams were nothing but coincidence, that they may have just been similar on account of the past they shared and Celeste’s powers. They cannot accept that the dreams were omens of things to come - especially not now that Celeste was going to meet her present birth father in just a few hours.

There were some suspicions better off not acknowledged.


	7. Neon

_ The revolution has truly begun. Life was nothing but blood and sweat and secrets. He could still sense Pingkian’s distrust of him despite the lives he’s saved with the information that he keeps bringing with him. Matanglawin was dead, but his brother survived. Paulo had no idea how to console him and Adela over the loss, merely held them as they wept one stormy night in Bulacan. They were too young for war and grief, but he knew the world was unfair. _

_ It was raining that night he first met the del Pilars. _

_ He was soaked from the sudden rain that poured during a particularly bloody skirmish and barely managed to duck under an upturned wagon for cover. Weighed down by his skirts and the information that a simple pretty suman vendor could gather behind enemy lines. _

_ He could hear men’s voices. He tried to make himself look as small as he could so they wouldn’t notice him, afraid that they could be enemies. _

_ “Kapit lang, Goyong, konti nalang,” a steady voice boomed. _

_ He clutched his shawl tighter around him, trying to suppress the shudders and shivers. _

_ “Dito, pwede muna natin siyang isilong dito.” Shadows fell over his hiding place and soon enough, a scruffy young man who eerily looked like a slightly younger version of him peered in and nearly jumped up at the sight of him. “Ate Maria?” _

_ “Hindi Maria ang pangalan ko at wala akong kapatid.” His cold hands let go of his shawl and bilao, closed around his concealed gun. _

_ “Hoy, Julian, sino yan?” another one of the men asked. _

_ “May babae dito,” the man called Julian said, confused. _

_ Paulo stared at his soaked figure, the old, battered gun he was clutching. Maybe he could get information from them. _

_ Of course his plans had to be ruined before he began them. “Hindi ligtas dito, binibini. Paparating na ang mga Kastila,” Julian told him. _

_ He blinked. “Mga Katipunero ba kayo?” _

_ Julian tensed. “Oo, kaya sumama ka na sa amin. Hindi ka naman namin sasaktan, binibini.” _

_ Paulo rolled his eyes. “Kasamahan niyo ako, mga gago. Ako si Anino.” _

_ “Anino?” Julian asked, slurring the words. _

_ “Siya yung kinukwento ni Adela,” someone said weakly. “Magandang binibini nga daw.” _

_ There was a quiet discussion, then Julian turned back to Paulo. “Binibini, sugatan ang isa sa kasama namin. Maaari mo ba kaming tulungan?” _

_ He nodded, almost imperceptibly, letting go of his gun and keeping it hidden in his skirts. He scooted over as the Katipuneros ushered in a tall young man. He looked a lot like Julian and by extension Paulo, and was of an age with the latter. His forehead was bleeding badly and he looked so pale that he could easily be mistaken as a corpse. _

_ “Nagagalak akong makilala ka na sa wakas, Binibining Lina,” he said with a wheezy laugh. “Hindi kayang saklawin ng mga kwento ni Adela ang tunay na kagandahan mo.” _

_ “Mamaya ka na mambola! Linisin muna natin yang sugat mo, gago.” Paulo snapped, forcing his head back so he could get a better look at the wound. Ripping a piece of his skirt, he began to dab the dirty cloth on the young man’s forehead. _

_ The latter smiled languidly. “Ako nga pala si Gregorio - pero maaari mo rin akong tawaging Goyong.” _

_ Paulo nodded stiffly, hurriedly cleaning up the wound and trying to stem the flow of blood. He tried to do it as gently as he could. “Mamaya ka na lumandi, gago,” he growled. _

_ Goyong fell quiet and let Paulo take care of his forehead without much complaints. He seemed to be feeling better as the rain let up and the bleeding stopped. “Hindi mo pa sinasabi ang pangalan mo sa akin, Anino.” _

_ The spy never was good at making up names .”Paulina.” _

_ “Paulina rin ang ngalan niya,” Goyong murmured quietly. He leaned forward and kissed Paulo, his hand flying to the latter’s chest. _

_ Paulo balked, afraid that his secret would be revealed. He had to admit that the other man was a good kisser but all he could think of was Celeste. He raised his hand and slapped Goyong hard, shoving him away. “Ano ba? Hindi ka dapat basta basta humahalik ng binibini!” _

_ Goyong tilted his head. He leaned forward again and whispered against Paulo’s ear. “Alam kong hindi ka binibini pero... maaari ba kitang halikan ulit?” _

_ “Hindi.” Paulo scuttled out of the cramped wagon and stared at the six men waiting for them, affixing Julian particularly with his darkest glare. “Maayos na ang lagay niya. Ngayon, maaari na ba tayong umalis bago bumalik ang ulan?” _

**Friday, 10-26-16, 5:30 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He didn’t know what possessed them to make love in the living room but there they were, sprawled naked on the bay window when the rest of the household began to stir. They were too caught up in their own little world while Concha slept peacefully upstairs, and didn’t notice that the earliest riser, Rusca, walked in on them in the middle of  _ after care _ .

“Gago, dito pa talaga kayo gagawa ng anak?” Rusca hooted with glee. “Wala kayong pinagkaiba nina Goyong at Jay!”

_ Mirrors _ . Seeing Goyong and Jay made Paulo think that he and Celeste mirrored them. Even their personalities were quite close to each other.

“Gago ka rin pala, eh nag-eenjoy kami dito,” Celeste shot back, sticking out her tongue.

Rusca smirked. “See? Para kang si Goyong at si Paulo si Jay.”

Paulo rolled his eyes with a sigh. “I don’t see anything wrong with that.” He had to admit, despite her the resemblances with Celeste, he saw more of himself in Jay - from her hyperactivity to her recklessness to her temper.

Rusca burst into laughter. He stepped away from their naked forms, his fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose gently.  _ “Bolang.” Gago. _

They left him to his guffaws, heading up the stairs to their temporary room where Concha was still sleeping peacefully. It was too late for them to go back to sleep, but they didn’t mind.

By the time they were dressed for the day, Concha in her mother’s loving hands, they headed downstairs again. The kitchen bustled with activity as Rusca worked on breakfast, making pancake after pancake with ease. He turned as they approached, his eyes narrowing with mischief. “Well, at least  _ mukha _ na kayong disente ngayon.”

“Ano bang ginagawa namin at kanina mo pa kami tinatrashtalk?” Paulo demanded.

Celeste put her free hand on his shoulder. “Beh, umagang umaga naman oh. Scandalo agad ang hanap?”

Rusca raised his hands. “Nagbibiro lang ako, chill.”

Paulo sighed. They were visitors, he had to remind himself. They shouldn’t be going off causing  trouble in their hosts’ household.

**Friday, 10-26-16, 9:30 AM, SM Clark**

Going to the mall  _ too early _ had one big downside. They had to lurk around the entrance in the sweltering heat while waiting for the doors to open. Concha was being a fussy baby, but she had to be patient for just a little more while. After all, they were there because she ran out of diapers.

“Kinakabahan ka ba?” he asked Celeste as they stood by the stairs. He was trying hard to ignore the stares from a gaggle of girls in the white and checkered gray uniform of a local university. He was failing, he knew. His cheeks were flushed red and he was already feeling quite flustered by the obvious admiration.

No one admired Paulo Piqueras back home - they only wanted his money, or were too afraid of him.

“Putangina, matatae na nga ata ako sa nerbyos,” Celeste all but whispered. She bit her lip, as if hesitating before pressing on. “Gusto ko talagang malaman yung motibo ng tatay ko, pero natatakot din ako. Syempre nandun din yung low key galit.”

He nodded along, snaking an arm around her waist. “Tangina diba? Yung pakiramdam na iniwan ka sa ere tapos bigla ka nalang babalikan pag me kailangan sila?”

She raised her brows, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “Beh, humuhugot ka ba?” she asked with a small chuckle.

He winked at her. “Alam mo namang on point yun eh.”

She grimaced. “Alam ko.”

They were going to face whatever happens together.

**Bonus**

**Friday, 10-26-16, 10:30 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Addie was still a little wary of being alone in the house with Jay though the latter had already thawed significantly around her. Maybe it was because of the constant feeling to prove to Jay that she was going to treat Vince well. She had to suppress a little chuckle as she wondered if it was what it was like to have a mother in law that she desperately wanted to please. It wasn’t just about Vince, she had to admit. There was something about Jay that made Addie want to earn her approval too.

She supposed she had loads of time that day. She had no appointments in the debate team she was coaching, no paperworks for law school to tend to, no friends tto hang out with, and Vince had to go to work.

Jay was taking it easy that day, perched on her favorite beanbag with a hand on her stomach, idly  watching  _ Guardians of the Galaxy  _ on the television while she played with her new pets. She turned as she saw Addie hover hesitantly at the edge of the living room adn smiled. “Uy, bakit diyan ka umaaligid? Dito ka nalang oh, ang dami namang upuan. Jusko, atin lang yung bahay hanggang mamaya.”

Addie smiled politely and did as she was told. She pulled a beanbag with her and sat beside Jay. “How’s your pregnancy?” she asked, wondering if it was polite to initiatie small talk with  _ that  _ question.

Jay didn’t seem to mind though. She grinned widely and ran her fingers through her wavy crimson hair. “Hindi naman masama. Patapos na first trimester ko so di na ako gaanong nagcacrave ng chocolate at kape. Confirmed na din na kambal yung dinadala ko.”

“And your health?” Addie pressed on, wincing at the thought that she sounded like her mother at her pushiest.

“Hindi na maibabalik sa dati yung puso ko pero eto naman. Functioning.” Jay shrugged, obviously attempting to look nonchalant. She opened her mouth, obviously about to say more, but a sudden gasp of pain escaped her lips instead. She bent over, clutching her chest as her eerily empathic pets began to squeak and bark and mewl.  “Speak of the devil...”

“I-I’m sorry,” Addie yelped though she knew she did  _ nothing _ wrong. She went nearer to Jay, who was starting to breathe heavily. “Manang, naririnig mo pa ba ako?”

The way that Jay began to struggles for breath was alarming. Her free hand found Addie’s arm. “Kaya mo bang kumuha ng trike?” she panted. She toppled forward, moaning in obvious pain.

“J-Jay! Wag kang ganyan!” Addie barely managed to catch her, aware that solidly built Jay was a little too heavy for her.

Jay’s breaths were now nothing but faint, pained gasps. Terrified, Addie felt for her pulse and was alarmed by how faint yet erratic it was. She had to get help.

Hoisting Jay up, she shuffled slowly out of the house, just the slightest bit relieved that Jay was still strong enough to hobble along. She paused shortly by th e gate though, wondering if it would be prudent for her to lock the door before calling for a tricycle.

Jay, dazed and pained, nodded. “Safety first,” she wheezed.

Addie nodded and slowly locked the gate, making sure that no one would be able to break in. Thankfully the tricycle drivers at the end of the by the highway - just a thirty second walk away on a good day - saw what was going on and one of them approached immediately.  _ “Nanu, nang, masakit ne nanaman ba i Jay?” Ano, hija, may sakit nanaman ba si Jay?  _ The look of concern on his face made it evident that he ferried Jay to the hospital already.

“O-opo,” was all that Addie could  yelp.

Thankfully, the kindly driver helped her and Jay into the trike. They barely made it to the highway when the latter lost consciousness, her breathing a faint afterthought, her pulse even worse.

Addie could only pray that she would make it to the hospital.


	8. Dragonfly

_He saw her again on a rainy day, all because of a tip from Adela. The lovely girl mentioned something about a pretty sharpshooter dressed like a man was looking for a lost lover. It piqued his curiosity enough to agree and meet this mysterious Katipunera, and he was rewarded for it._

_Celeste was as beautiful as ever, her features having lost the last vestiges of childhood. She was still short and voluptuous, her hair cut short to better hide her gender, cloth binding her chest tightly in an attempt to flatten her breasts. She smiled politely and was about to say something when she recognized him._

_“Paulo,” she said in wonder. “Sabi na nga ba’t magkikita rin tayo muli.”_

_“Patawarin mo ako, Celeste,” he blurted out quietly. “Akala ko’y patay ka na.”_

_Much later that night, they were lying naked and holding each other’s arms in a small, cramped room. He told her of his father’s lie, of the betrothal and running away on his wedding day, of joining the Katipunan to bury his grief. She told him of being raped by one of his father’s men and killing him with his own gun, of fleeing further south to Manila and being taken in by a woman named Juliana and her husband, Paco, of learning that she had a good aim and joining the revolution despite her hosts’ warnings._

_***_

_He heard of his father’s death on a bleary June morning as they were all preparing for the declaration of independence. Spain has mainly lost its hold over their lands and he supposed it was a time to celebrate – even moreso now that his father was dead, according to a letter from his cousin, Juliana. She urged him to come home to inherit his father’s lands, telling him that she did not want to take it and leave her acquaintances in Manila behind._

_He was sorely tempted to, especially now that the fighting was over. It was time for Lina and Celestino to disappear and lead peaceful lives again, even if it meant revealing their true identities to at least the president._

_***_

_Neither of them felt any urge to go take up arms again when fighting with the Americans broke out.  They both wanted peace, wanted to start a family and tend to the lands and their workers. They could protect each other and their people better by staying._

_It didn’t help that Celeste was pregnant by the middle of April._

_It was another incentive not to fight. He can’t leave his pregnant wife and fight a war, can’t risk leaving her a grieving widow._

_They were ready to flee with their workers, hide in a relative’s lands in Dapitan by June. He readily agreed when the president asked him to help his troops, offering the crops that they wouldn’t be able to sell or take with them when they fled in a few weeks’ time. He might not be willing to fight another revolution but it didn’t mean that he couldn’t help them instead._

_***_

_He woke up early to help some of the old women in the farm in preparing suman for their guests. He felt anxious when General del Pilar’s name was mentioned, afraid that the man would recognize him from just a couple of years back. In his fear, he ordered his men to spread conflicting rumors about his identity – that he was the most beautiful woman in the village, that he was a sullen teenager who killed his own father for his inheritance, that he was a dirty old man who would hit on any woman._

_Celeste smiled at him, knowing what happened that rainy day. “Ako nang mag-aabang sakanila sa labas,” she chirped._

_He nodded and watched her position herself under a tree and began sewing, humming to herself as she waited for the General and his aides to arrive. She seemed so at home with her work, dressed in her plainest clothes in a convincing attempt to look like a worker’s wife instead of the landlady. The first he could see from his spot behind the well was an older Vicente Enriquez. He still held the spark of hope in his eyes, though he was much more polite and reserved now. Behind him were Adela, older and prettier but still flat, and Julian whose scruff finally grew into an impressive mustache._

_Last to show up was the General himself – Goyong as he introduced himself all those years ago – older and grimmer and just the slightest bit weary. He approached Celeste, took her hand, and kissed it._

_“Poleng?” he whispered._

_“Celeste ang pangalan ko,” she said, sticking her tongue out._

_“Kay ganda mo naman, binibini,” he backtracked, making Paulo teeter between annoyance and amusement._

_Celeste didn’t have to pretend that she was annoyed by the compliment – after all, their town already labeled her as the most beautiful, despite the fact that they persecuted her just a few years ago. Being married to the most powerful man in the neighborhood truly did have its advantages._

_“Hindi ako mahilig makipagusap sa mga mambobola,” she told him, baring her teeth in a ferocious grin._

_Goyong did not seem the least taken aback. “Hindi ako nambobola, maniwala ka. Nagsasabi lamang ako ng totoo.”_

_Celeste rolled her eyes and pulled up her blouse, showing him the way her stomach was starting to swell. “Buntis ako, gago.”_

_Paulo decided to step forward, clutching the bilao of suman in front of him. “Magandang umaga, mga ginoo,” he said in a singsong voice, reveling in the shocked look of recognition on Goyong’s face._

**Friday, 10-21-2016, 11:00 AM, SM Clark**

Arriving early meant that they had already bought everything they needed already – namely Concha’s diapers. They decided to whittle down the next few hours walking around the mall though, as Paulo thought it would be a great way to help Celeste calm her nerves.

“Alam kong hindi ka mapapakali hangga’t hindi kayo naguusap talaga ng tatay mo,” he told her as he took Concha in his arms, letting the gurgling baby peek sleepily at some colorful posters in the center of the mall.

Celeste looked down, absentmindedly trying to smoothen her green shirt. “Hindi ko man nga alam paano umpisahan yung usapan eh. Anong gagawin ko? Tatawa? Yayakap sa kanya? Ayoko namang gumawa ng eksana. _Ali ke pwedeng gulisakan.” Hindi ko siya pwedeng sigawan_.

“I know, Cee,” he sighed. “Nakakapanibago ka. Hindi ka naman overthinker ah.”

“Alam ko.” Her laugh was breathless, shuddering. “Mas gusto ko yung pambubullshit ng mga solusyon sa problema pero ibang klase ata talaga kapag pamilya mo yung problema mo ano?”

He raised his brows at that. “Counted na ba siyang pamilya, ha? Baka naman hindi pala siya karapat dapat na matawag na tatay mo – yung tipong mas bagay siyang tawaging _sperm donor_.”

That elicited a genuine peal of laughter, at least.

“Totoo yan,” she agreed. She leaned forward to poke an equally giggly little Concha on the cheek before turning back to him. “Masaya ako na hindi ka kagaya ng tatay ko.”

 _Never_. The thought of leaving Celeste hadn’t crossed his mind, not even when he came up to him one rainy evening just to tell him that her pregnancy test came up positive. As a matter of fact, it made him even more determined to marry her and start a family. “Alam mo namang hinding hindi kita iiwan, di ba? Ikakasal na nga tayo sa January eh!”

“Hindi ko alam kung kelan ako mauubusan ng mga _thank you_ na maibabato ko sayo pero thank you, ha?” She all but glowed as she uttered those words and it reminded him of the distant past and how she would always thank him for taking her back. He never would have thrown her out, and just the thought of it made him shiver with disgust.

They were walking around the Cyberzone, checking out the new drawing tablets that Celeste was looking into buying, when his phone rang. He was half expecting it to be someone from Tarlac – his parents or maybe a sister or even a cousin. A baffled look crossed his face when he saw Jay’s name on the screen instead. He didn’t even know that she had his number. He exchanged confused glances with Celeste, who was peering at the screen too.

“Sagutin mo, baka emergency yan,” she said.

He nodded. He made sure to hoist Concha carefully on one arm before answering the call on speaker, though. “Manang Jay? Anong meron?” he began.

“Kuya Paulo.” It wasn’t Jay. It was Adela, voice squeaking uncharacteristically. Something was wrong. “I’m sorry. Busy ka ba?”

That made Paulo exchange glances with Celeste, who motioned for him to go on. They began to head downstairs to look for someplace to sit down and maybe get some food. “Hindi naman gaanong busy, may problema ba?”

“I had to take Jay to the hospital and she doesn’t look good.” Her voice broke and steadily raised its pitch. It looked like she was just a few seconds away from a panic attack. “Wala kasing ibang tao sa bahay kanina except for me. Hindi pa rin sumasagot si Goyong at si Joven. I tried Rusca’s number din.”

“Pero nasa ospital na kayo?” he asked, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. “Baka naman kasi busy sa café yung mga yun. Lunch time pa naman. Sinubukan mo na bang tawagan sina Julian at Julio? Marge at Tina? Si Aurora o si Nonong?”

“I did. Nandito si Nonong pero nakaduty siya sa emergency room so di rin niya sila matawagan.” Her voice shook, as if she was trying to stop herself from crying. “I tried to bring her as fast as I can. Ayoko siyang mamatay o makunan.”

“I know.” He remembered trying to talk down a few sisters from panic attacks over the years and wondered if the same thing would work with Addie. “Sit down. Breathe muna.”

There was a long pause as the girl on the other line probably did as she was told. “Her heart stopped kasi,” she finally said, her voice just the slightest bit calmer. “Hindi ko alam kung…”

“Kakayanin niya yan,” Celeste said, taking the phone gently from her partner’s cold hands. “Hinga lang, girl. Matibay si Jay – di ba nangyari na din sakanya to nung July? I was there.”

“S-sana nga.” Addie fell quiet. “Sandali, kakausapin lang ako ng doctor. Be right back.”

The call ended, leaving the couple to exchange looks again.

“Well, that’s it. Alam na natin anong next destination natin,” Paulo said grimly. “Kain muna tayo tapos samahan na natin si Addie, ano?”

Celeste nodded, clearly as concerned as he felt. “Oo naman.”

**Friday, 10-21-2016, 12:00 PM, SM Clark**

They found Addie sitting quietly in the hallway just outside the emergency room. She immediately shot to her feet at the sight of them and threw her arms around Celeste, then Paulo.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she admitted. “Sumagot na sina Goyong at Joven. They’re still arguing kung sino dapat ang pumunta dito. Nakausap ko na din yung doctor. She’s alive daw, pero kailangan muna ng observation.”

“Good to hear.” Paulo can sympathize with Goyong. He remembered when Celeste called him just to tell him that she got shot and was in labor. He was unfortunately stuck in his father’s seminar and wouldn’t be able to leave until the next night, and he couldn’t contain the panic and fear. “Wag mong kakalimutang huminga ng malalim. It helps.”

Celeste popped up her top to breastfeed Concha and leaned against the wall casually. “At least naligtas mo si Jay. Yun ang isipin mo. Buhay siya, kailangan lang siguro niya ng konting pahinga.”

Addie bit her lip and nodded. She paused before a small giggle escaped her lips. “You know, you feel more like my parents than my real ones.”

“We’ll take that as a compliment,” Paulo said, reaching forward to ruffle her hair and give her a quick hug. “Kumain ka na muna kung gutom ka na, kami nang maghihintay dito.”

She smiled and nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered before standing up, brushing her blouse, and heading out.


	9. Jillian

_He offered suman to their guests to turn their attention away from his pregnant wife, grinning cheekily as he pretended to be anyone but himself. It was still easy even if he was sorely out of practice. “Ano hong kailangan nila dito?” he said._

_Goyong narrowed his eyes but took a suman anyway. “Kailangan naming makausap yung may ari ng lupaing ito.”_

_“Ah.” Paulo’s grin widened, pleased at the recognition he was getting. “Wala hong tao sa bahay niya eh. Nasa bayan din po ang mga kasambahay, namamalengke. Wala naman siyang nasabing bisita.”_

_Julian ate suman after suman, though it didn’t diminish the sharpness of his attention. “Kailangan namin siyang makausap, hindi ba, Goyong?”_

_“Tama. Maghihintay kami hanggang dumating siya.” Goyong’s tone of voice was still suspicious._

_Paulo sat down on the grassy turf and began to peel a suman, trying to make it as tantalizingly erotic as he could. He caught Celeste’s gaze and noted the laughter she was trying to stifle as he started to lick his food. He could see Vicente staring at him with avid curiosity, and the look of fascinatned horror on Adela’s face._

_It was fun to prank them though, he must admit._

_He eventualy had to excuse himself, though. He can’t hide the truth forever. Slipping away with Celeste while the soldiers were busy eating and talking about battle plans, they slipped away to get dressed for lunch with their guests._

_“Hindi sila matutuwa sa ginawa natin,” Celeste mused as she buttoned up his shirt and let him help her with her skirt._

_He shrugged. “Bahala na.”_

_They stood by the dining room doors, waiting for their guests to be ushered in by their servants. Goyong stepped in first, shooting them a confused stare as he was directed to his seat. A baffled but otherwise relieved Julian followed him, then a preoccupied Celeste, and Adela who gave them a glowing look of approval._

_“Pasensya na, Heneral,” Paulo said in a singsong voice as he seated himself between Goyong and Celeste. “Kinailangan lang naming siguraduhin na kayo nga ang panauhin namin.”_

_“Kilala mo naman ako,” Goyong said sourly before he began to eat._

_Lunch was made of small talk, of stories about the new war and the horrors it inflicted on the country, of confirming the promise of supplies. It would take the entire day to secure them, though, so the general and his aides would have to stay there for the night._

_Paulo decided to go for a walk with Celeste in the fields shortly after lunch while Goyong and his brother holed themselves up in the study to discuss some secret plans. It was a cool afternoon, clouds concealing the sun and promising rain that night._

_“Nakilala ka ng heneral, hindi ba?” Celeste whispered in concern. “Nakita ko kung paano ka niya titigan.”_

_He ran a hand down his face in frustration. He truly hoped that he had matured enough to look unrecognizable but it seemed like it wasn’t the case. “Nababagabag nga ako,” he admitted. “Pero nakita ko din yung pagtitig niya sa iyo. Tinawag ka pa nga niyang Poleng, hindi ba?”_

_She nodded, a hand stroking her stomach thoughtfully. “Sinabi niya na kahawig ko ang dating iniirog niya.”_

_“Hindi kaya siya yung Paulina na sinabi din sa akin ng heneral noon?” Paulo rubbed his forehead, not wanting to revisit that specific part of his past._

_They heard soft moans coming from the shed. Exchanging glances, they opened the door and spotted the two younger colonels kissing each other, Adela sprawled on the hay with Vicente on top of her. One of his hands was undoing her buttons, the other rubbing her breasts excitedly while she ran her fingers through his hair. They were so oblivious to their spectators, not even noticing when Paulo and Celeste exchanged looks and backed away slowly, stifling their laughter._

_“Hindi ko inakalang aabot sila sa ganyan,” Paulo admitted. “Masyado pang bata para makaintindi ng pag-ibig noon si Vicente at tila si Matanglawin ang pinusuan ni Adela.”_

_“Sumalangit nawa,” Celeste murmured, eyes flicking to the sky momentarily at the mention of Anacleto Enriquez._

_Paulo found Goyong pacing alone in the library shortly before dinner. The latter’s hair was a mess, as if he ruffled it in agitation, his hat fallen on the floor. He looked up as Paulo approached and grimaced. “Sadyang mapaglaro nga naman ang tadhana, ano, Ginoong Piqueras?”_

_“Paulo na lang.” The young landlord leaned against a heavy wooden shelf and crossed his arms. “Mapaglaro nga at malupit ang tadhana, Heneral.”_

_Goyong nodded thoughtfully. “Siyang tunay. Paulina ang ngalan ng nagiisang babaeng tunay kong minahal – at kamukhang kamukha niya ang asawa mo.”_

_“Heneral, kung nagdududa ka kay Celeste, tandaan mong alam ng buong bayan ang nangyari sa amin noon at kilala nila ang tunay niyang ama.” Defensiveness crept up Paulo’s voice but he didn’t care._

_Goyong shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. “Alam kong magkaibang tao sila. Hindi ko lang alam anong dapat kong maramdaman at magkahawig sila ni Poleng – at magkahawig tayong dalawa.”_

_Paulo froze, half formed words on his lips. He knew it was true but he hadn’t really thought of it much. “Naging malupit nga ang tadhana sa iyo, Heneral.”_

_Goyong smiled and bowed his head. “Siguro nararapat lang ito at marami na akong naging kasalanan sa mga binibining pinaglaruan ko. Maaari ba akong humingi ng tawad sa ginawa ko sa iyo noon?”_

_“Matagal na kitang pinatawad.” Paulo had to admit, he had no anger in his bones left for the defeated looking general._

**Friday, 10-21-2016, 12:30 PM, Angeles University Foundation Medical Center**

Addie hasn’t returned yet when Goyong came bursting into the hospital, his hair a wild mess, eyes wide with fear. “Si Jay?” he asked Paulo and Celeste.

His sharp voice spooked Concha and made her cry. Paulo sighed in exasperation as he tried to soothe the baby. “Nasa loob pa. Naligtas daw nila pero inoobserbahan pa.”

A shaky little groan escaped Goyong’s lips. His knees looked like they were on the verge of giving out when he made his way to the vacant seat beside Paulo’s and slumped over. “Natatakot ako.”

“Magiging ayos lang siya,” Celeste said in a motherly tone. “Si Jay pa?”

Paulo nodded sagely as he leaned his child against his chest, letting her grab a fistful of his shirt without complaining. “Napansin kong magkahawig yung ugali namin kaya sigurado akong hindi yan basta basta magpapatalo sa sakit niya. Baka hamunin pa niya ng suntukan yan pag napikon siya!”

Goyong laughed, the fear in his voice subsiding somewhat. “Sana nga.”

The three of them sat there in companionable silence for a few minutes, all of them wondering how Jay was doing. Adela joined them just a few minutes later, looking like she already calmed down though still clearly worried. She sat down beside Celeste, rubbing her forehead wearily but saying nothing.

**Friday, 10-21-2016, 1:00 PM, Angeles University Foundation Medical Center**

Jay was conscious when they were finally allowed to see her. She was propped up on her bed, fiddling with her loose hospital shirt. She seemed unperturbed by the noisy hospital monitors she was strapped to, and definitely more energetic than her terrifying paleness would have one believe. She beamed at the sight of her visitors.

“I’m sorry,” she said, struggling against her croaky voice. “Hindi ko naman kayo sinasadyang takutin.”

“Alam naman namin yun,” Goyong said as he rushed to her side, sitting down on the stool by her bed. He began to stroke her crimson hair with so much fondness that it was _awfully_ familiar to anyone who almost lost a lover.

Addie fumbled with her blouse a little self consciously. “Jay, I’m so glad that you’re fine.”

“Heh.” Jay winked at her. “Salamat. Ang laki ng utang na loob ko sayo.”

“It’s nothing, ano ka ba?” Addie fumbled with her blouse self consciously, mumbling something under her breath.

Jay turned to the other couple in the room. “Hi. Pasensya na, naabala ko pa ata kayo. Dapat nageenjoy lang kayo dito.”

“Gago, wala yun,” Paulo chided her. “At least maayos ka at safe, yun nalang yung isipin mo. Hindi naman kami naaabala kung tumutulong kami sa kaibigan, diba?”

Celeste nodded along with a relieved smile. “Pinakaba mo lahat kami, ikaw talaga! Pero I knew you’d make it. Diba nangyari na rin sayo yan dati?”

“Mas malala pa nga yung dati,” Jay agreed with pride in her voice.

**Friday, 10-21-2016, 1:30 PM, Angeles University Foundation Medical Center Café France**

Paulo wasn’t sure how he ended up agreeing when Goyong invited him to get some tea downstairs while the women chatted away upstairs as Concha gurgled and cooed at the television, but he didn’t mind it. He didn’t feel awkward around the boy general – it wasn’t 1899 anymore, after all.

“Mas masarap parin yung sa Tea-rad Pass,” Goyong muttered darkly as he sipped his ice cold drink. “Pasensya na ah, wala kasi akong mahila. Kailangan kong magpalamig ng ulo at pakiramdam ko sasabog parin ako sa nerbyos.”

“Wala yun.” Paulo sipped his own grapefruit tea thoughtfully, staring hard at the slowly melting ice. _I like it with ice. Lots of ice._ “Alam mo ba, lagi kang kinukwento ni Jay sa akin kahapon – kung pano kayo nagkakilala, yung landian tactics niyo, yung pagpropose mo sakanya. Nakaktuwa nga kasi nakikita kong in love na in love siya sayo.”

“Patay na patay din ako sakanya,” Goyong said, his cheeks turning red. He didn’t really have to defend himself. He reeked of his _devotion_ to Jay. “Ikaw, pano mo nga ba nakilala si Celeste sa, uh, _lifetime_ na ito?”

“Transfer student siya.” Paulo didn’t need much probing. He didn’t mind talking to the boy general now. “Sophomore ako nun, freshman siya. Wala kaming masyadong kaibigan pareho – madami kasing natatakot sa akin dahil kilalang real estate developer ang tatay ko, si Celeste naman dahil anak siya ng Amerikano.”

“Hindi naman ata dahilan yun para iwasan kayo pero… ano nga namang masasabi ko, eh bata pa kayo noon?” Goyong sipped his lemon iced tea with a thoughtful look.

“Nakita ko siyang nagtatago sa restroom ng mga lalake, umiiiyak dahil nabully nanaman.” It was painful to remember just how awfully shy Celeste used to be. She grew up into quite the outgoing woman, after all. “Ayun, inalok kong maging kaibigan niya and it snowballed from there. Ako lang ang naging boyfriend niya pero nagkaroon siya ng girlfriend. One week lang yung tinagal ni Ateng kasi hindi daw niya matiis na may best friend na lalaki at, uh, di naman alam ni Celeste na sinagot pala niya. Medyo sabaw kasi.”

Goyong chuckled at that. “At least agad namang nahiwalayan, kesa naman yung hihintayin munang lumala.”

He nodded. “Ayun, naging kami nung JS prom nila and hindi na kami naghiwalay ulit. Madaming hindi makaintindi, sa totoo lang – akala nila gold digger siya kasi medyo hirap yung pamilya niya at ayun nga, businessman ang tatay ko. Gusto naman siya ng mga magulang ko. Napilitan siyang tumigil sa pag-aaral sandali pagkatapos ng high school kasi nagkasakit yung tito niya at kailangan nila ng pera. Nag-alok tumulong magulang ko pero  tumanggi siya. Sawa na daw kasi sa mga labels.”

Goyong gave him a sympathetic wince. He of all people definitely understood _labels_ , though he seemed much more well off and comfortable now. “Pero nakapagtapos naman siya, diba?”

“Multimedia arts, oo.” Paulo leaned back. “Nakapagaral naman nung sumunod na school year. Namatay na yung tito niya so medyo tahimik pa siya noon. Nung patapos na yung second sem nag-away kami. Mas malala pa sa nangyari sa amin nung makalawa. Doon ko unang nalaman na ganun kalala yung galit niya sa tatay niya. Nagoffer kasi ako na subukang hanapin sa social media. Medyo lasing siya nung oras na yun pero umalis siya ng bahay nila – nakamotor pa.”

“May motor si Celeste noon?” Goyong’s eyes widened. “Biker pala yang girlfriend mo ah.”

He laughed. “Well, parang ganun na nga. Eh wala pa akong sasakyan nun! Hindi ko siya agad nahabol and next thing we knew, naaksidente na siya. Sobrang lala, total wreck yung motor at wasak din yung harapan ng van na binangga niya. Akala ko mamamatay siya sa lala nung internal damage – yung iba dun naging permanent na kaya napilitan siyang maging laid back. Sa sobrang lala napilitan ulit magstop ng one year sa college. Hindi na rin siya makatanggi sa financial assistance ng magulang ko kasi ang daming kailangang bayaran at yung legalities pa dahil sa drunk driving. Pero ayun, nakagraduate naman last year and well… the rest is history na, diba? Nagsama na kami sa bahay, nagplano nang ikasal, sinamahan ko rin siyang magtraining para maging babaylan.”

Goyong nodded sympathetically. “Madami na din kayong pinagdaanan. Natutuwa ako na matatag parin kayo.”

“Ako din,” he admitted. Thinking about it now, they really have been through so much in both lifetimes.. He really was glad that their adventurous lives made them stronger and better people.


	10. Runaway

_He hated Miguel Santos. It didn’t have anything to do with him being a playboy. It wasn’t because he was so cocky either. He hated Miguel for trying to steal some of his lands and touching his wife inappropriately during a meeting._

_Still, he had to be the decent person. His entire household will be leaving for Dapitan in a few days. Despite their rivalry, Celeste insisted on asking him to come with them instead of staying somewhere that the Americans would pass by. He knew it was a terrible idea, but he didn’t want to disappoint her._

_It was a failure, of course. Miguel not only refused to leave, he even asked for his permission to bed Celeste for a week._

_They left in disgust – but not before he caught a glimpse of a thin, pale girl who looked so much like Celeste that they could have passed for twins._

_“Yun ba ang asawa niya?” he found himself asking his wife as they began the long walk home._

_She pursed her lips and nodded, clearly troubled about something. “Sinasaktan daw siya ni Miguel. Inalok ko rin na sumama sa atin, para mahanapan natin ng paraan at makalaya siya.”_

_“Hindi pumayag, ano?” Paulo knew that his mother had a lot of chances to run away from her father, but she wouldn’t. It might endanger her son, after all, and she wasn’t planning to leave without him. “May anak ba sila?”_

_“Ang balita ko lang ay siya ang nagpapalaki sa mga anak ni Miguel sa ibang babae.” Celeste shrugged and looked down. “Hindi ko alam kung anong mararamdaman ko nang malaman kong Poleng ang palayaw niya.”_

_“Poleng… at kahawig mo siya, hindi ba?” He felt his guts turn cold._

_She nodded and gazed up at him. “Siya ata ang Poleng na sinasabi ng Heneral noong isang araw.”_

_**_

_They left Tarlac on a bleary July morning, traveling northward to Pangasinan to board a southbound ship. Everything was going so smoothly until just a few hours before actually boarding. He and Celeste and some of their workers were sitting under the shade of a cluster of palm trees, waiting for their ship to dock._

_A young man in opulent clothing approached them, eyes trained on Celeste. “Kay ganda mo naman, binibini,” he said, his voice sounding as slick as oil. “Maaari ko bang mahingi ang iyong ngalan? Nais din sana kitang mahiram kahit sandali lamang mula sa iyong kapatid.”_

_“Wala akong balak na ipamigay ang pangalan ko, o ipahiram ang aking sarili,” she told him, a particularly sharp smile on her face. “At wala akong kapatid. Baka naman ang asawa ko yang tinititigan mo.”_

_The man stared at Paulo sourly, clearly unaware of the concealed knife that he was about to draw in case things got out of hand. He turned away to face Celeste again and reached out, as fast as a snake, to grope one of her ample breasts._

_Everything happened in a blur. Paulo tackled the man to the ground as the latter drew his gun. There was a loud yell from Celeste as she blurted out something that sounded like, “Gago!”_

_The man drew a gun – a shiny pistol – and shot it just as Paulo attempted to wrestle it out of his grip._

_The pain that hit the young landlord as a bullet lodged into his foot came too fast, too painful, that his mind immediately went blank. He was barely aware of Celeste drawing her emergency gun from the folds of her skirt and shooting the man on the face._

_**_

_He was never the same after that. He had to live with a limp and a fiery pain that hit him when the nights were cold. His days of adventure and mischief were over, he knew, but he didn’t mind. He had Celeste with him and that was enough._

_She gave birth in Dapitan on a stormy evening, just days after hearing about del Pilar’s death in Tirad. Celeste’s cries were drowned out by the howling winds and thunderous lightning, the floorboards creaking as she thrashed and flailed feverishly._

_The child was beautiful, inheriting her parents’ pale skin and her mother’s subtle brown hair. They named her Constancia as a reminder that while the world rapidly changed around them, some things will always, always be there._

_Just like love._

_**_

_They had two more chiidren over the next two years – Claro, who was born on a warm summer day, and Celestino, who was born just a few days after his mother’s twenty seventh birthday._

_Celeste was still recovering from a particularly difficult childbirth when they were told that they can finally return to Tarlac._

_“Alam kong nasasabik ka na ding bumalik,” she whispered as he brought her dinner, happily nursing their little son. “Gusto ko na ding makita si Inay.”_

_Her mother refused to come with them, unwilling to leave their farmlands completely abandoned._

_“Kailangan mo munang magpahinga,” he told her. “Saka na natin asikasuhin ang biyahe.”_

_**_

_It was a cold day in 1904 when they finally returned to their town in Tarlac, three little children in tow. Celeste was pregnant again, all but glowing with pride. It was so easy to overlook the look of surprise and recognition on the townspeople’s faces, but not to him, the former spy. He had a feeling that they were expecting them to never return._

_They had barely settled down when they were told of Miguel and Paulina Santos’ deaths five years ago at the hands of the Americans. The husband’s children lived though, having been handed over to their true mother’s relatives to be raised in her name instead._

_They spent a night praying for poor Poleng’s soul and hoping that she was, at least, happier now._

**Friday, 10-21-2016, 2:00 PM, Tea-rad Pass**

“Dito ka pa talaga nagset ng meeting place niyo ng tatay mo, ano?” Paulo said, looking around the cozy café. He had never been there before, though he heard glowing reviews from _everyone_.

“Nakakahiya naman kung sa Pulung Bulo ko siya papuntahin, ano?” Celeste said dryly as she strode up the counter.

Joven was the one manning the till today. He smiled tiredly at the sight of them and waved off some giggly student employees. “Kamusta naman kayo so far?”

“Masaya, bro, masaya,” Paulo said with a grin. It was true. They were enjoying their unexpected vacation in Angeles. “Nabisita na din namin kapatid mo. Wala din namang miscarriage na nangyari.”

Joven’s lip twitched and his glee was replaced by worry. “Mabuti naman. _Apakarug na ku.” Napakaba niya ako._

Celeste stuck out her tongue at him. “Normal lang namang mag-alala kahit na alam mong aawayin pa niya si Kamatayan pag nagkita sila, Kuya Joven.”

Joven laughed and shook his head, eyes shining with amusement. “Too true. So anong order niyo, ha?”

Paulo and Celeste exchanged glances and looked up at the menu. They still had an hour to kill but at least they would have time to steel themselves for the meeting. Besides, they had to satisfy _someone_ ’s maternal cravings.

“Vanilla mint frappe, oreo bits, white chocolate syrup.” Celeste’s eyes glinted with mischief. “The usual, ikaw talaga.”

“Chocolate frappe, marshmallow and oreo bits, dark chocolate syrup.” Paulo chuckled as Concha stirred in his arms, sniffing around in response to the sweet scent that permeated the air. “Dalawang tiramisu slices din.”

“Vanilla babaylan at choco patatas daw, narinig mo sila,” Joven said with a grin. “Ako nang bahala sa tiramisu slices niyo.”

“Vanilla babaylan at choco patatas?” Paulo asked, raising his brows as he paid their bill.

“Napansin namin na mahilig yung tatlo sa mga babaylan sa frappe na may mint at oreo bits. Yung mga del Pilar naman yung sa marshmallow at oreo bits.” Joven shrugged. “Naging shorthand na namin tuloy yun. Flavors lang ang pinagkaiba niyo, alam niyo ba yun?”

“That sounds interesting,” Paulo said as he and Celeste perched themselves on the bar seats nearest to the counter. “So ano nga bang mga flavors na gusto nila?” He was starting to take a mental note of the flavors that everyone else wanted so he could try them out in the future. _Matakaw ako and proud of it._

“Given na yung milk chocolate ni Jay. Si Tina yung ube forever. Si Marge yung reyna ng red velvet.” Joven adjusted his glasses. “Si Goyong yung mahilig sa vanilla magmula nung December last year. Si Julian at Julio naman ube at caramel gaya ng mga girlfriends nila. Very, very interesting.”

Paulo wasn’t sure why Joven was staring at them with that much fascination but he nodded along.

Rusca – who was pulled out of kitchen duty to take care of the bar – set down their drinks and cakes in front of them with his usual cheeky smile. ‘’May tig-isang free refill kayo dahil me fiesta promo kami. Oo nga pala, pupunta rin ba kayo dito sa Fiestang Apu?”

Celeste graciously started to sip on her drink. “Oo naman! Maguumpisa na rin naman kaming maglipat next week so why not? Baka dun na kami matulog sa bagong bahay nun eh.”

“Good, good.” Rusca rummaged in his pockets and handed them a pair of invitations the size of business cards. “Since sakop din ng El Cano subdivision yung bahay niyo, invited na din kasi kayo dun sa street costume party pagkatapos ng prusisyon.”

“Ano to, para sa Halloween?” She asked, eyes brimming with excitement. It was easy to imagine the cogs in her mind turning as she began to make up plans for what she was going to wear. “Nung college pa ako huling gumawa ng costume!”

That seemed to please Rusca. “Subukan mong makipagcoordinate, alam ko kailangan pa ng Alena nina Jay.”

“Alena… like, Alena ng Encantadia?” She was all but vibrating. Watching that series after dinner was a family ritual back in Tarlac. “I’m in. Sige, kausapin ko siya mamaya. May hinihintay lang kami dito sandali tapos babalik din kami sa ospital.”

**Friday, 10-21-2016, 3:00 PM, Tea-rad Pass**

They kept their cups with them, deciding to wait until after the meeting to claim their free refills. It was difficult to hold down more food when one of them was so antsy, after all. Concha seemed attuned to her mother’s restlessness as she began to fuss in Paulo’s arms, kicking and grabbing everything that she could.

“Anak mo nga to oh, ang likot likot!” He said, trying to lighten the mood as they left their plastic cups with Rusca and headed to a little alcove in the corner.

“Look who’s talking! Ikaw nga itong nang-aagaw ng kumot pag gabi!” Celeste didn’t seem to be as offended as she sounded, though. A small smile quirked up the corners of her lips but it was quickly replaced by a grimace of apprehension. “Salamat, pero hindi ko talaga kayang alisin yung kaba ko.”

A small whine escaped Concha’s lips as her fist tugged at Paulo’s already crumpled green shirt.

“Baby, wag ganyan,” Paulo crooned, rocking her in his arms to calm her. “Sayang yung porma, ano ba.”

Celeste wrung her hands on _her_ green shirt before running her fingers idly through her golden hair. She kept checking her watch, all but bouncing on her seat. “Kinakabahan na ako. What if _asshole_ siya?”

He raised his brows. “Magugulat ka pa ba kung asshole siya, aber?”

She paused, as if considering his words. “Well, tama ka naman dun. Hindi ko nga sinabi kay mama yung tungkol dito kasi baka malungkot lang siya.”

He relaxed as Concha finally calmed down, choosing to bury her face in his shirt instead. “Paano kung naging maayos naman yung paguusap niyo? Sasabihin mo na ba kay Tita?”

Celeste paused, as if deep in thought. She stared at him with those brown eyes that were easy to get lost in. “Wala naman sigurong masama kung icoconsider ko yun – kung talagang seryoso yung  tatay ko na matinong tao talaga siya.”

Paulo sidled a little closer to her on the bench, hoping that it was enough to comfort her even just for a while. “Don’t worry beh. I’ve got your back.”


	11. Mercury

_Raising a slowly growing brood of children with Celeste while managing the farmlands was a challenge that he willingly accepted. The next decade was quiet at the most. They received a couple of letters from Adela Reyes, mostly well wishes and quiet hints that the war got to her badly._

_They never saw her since that day that Goyong visited, almost fifteen years ago. They received an invitation to a wedding just a handful of years after they returned to Tarlac – a wedding that never happened. They were preparing their four children and a heavily pregnant Celeste for the trip when_

_They did see Vicente a couple of times though, older and more miserable. He even invited them to his wedding – a wedding with someone named Josefa Ysciano ten years after the events of Tirad, but unfortunately Celeste was going through the early stages of a delicate pregnancy with their seventh child at that time and her mother refused to even consider it._

_Celeste still insisted on making love, even when her body could barely handle the strain. As much as he worried about her, he couldn’t refuse – not when she begged and begged until he relented_

_It got them in trouble that one night, just a few months into the same pregnancy._

_The two of them were on the bed, oblivious to everything but each other. The world could have been ending but they wouldn’t have known it. They weren’t to blame though, as evil worked quietly and didn’t let itself be known until it was right at their doorstep. The children were still sleeping next door, and Celeste’s mother was still busy helping with breakfast._

_They didn’t hear anything until there were voices right outside their door._

_“Sinabi nang maghintay ka sa ibaba kung gusto mong makausap sina Paulo at Celeste!” her mother was shouting at someone. “Nagpapahinga pa sila, buntis ang anak ko!”_

_“Aalis ka ba o hindi?” a younger woman’s voice snarled._

_“Makulit ka din, ano?” Celeste’s mother retorted. She was about to say something more but her words were cut off by a gurgling choke and a loud, slamming sound that culminated in the bedroom door breaking down and the older woman’s prone form lying on the ground with a crushed skull. A beautiful young lady of seventeen or eighteen darted into the room, staring at them with bared teeth and nails as black as night._

_Celeste extracted herself from her husband, staring at the stranger in all her naked, pregnant glory. She didn’t seem scared or upset – not yet, at least. “Anong kailangan mo dito? Anong ginawa mo sa ina ko?”_

_The girl growled. It was eerie, inhuman. “Akala niyo matatakasan niyo ako habang buhay?”_

_From his vantage point on the bed, Paulo could see her glaring at the two of them. She was remarkable, but a complete stranger. Her dark nails were scaring him, he had to admit. “Alam mo, hindi ka naman namin kilala.” His voice wasn’t trembling, at least. “Nanloob at pumatay ka. Ngayon nanggugulo ka pa? Ano bang ginawa namin sa iyo?”_

_She stared at them sharply. “Wag mo akong lokohin, Gregorio.”_

_“Gregorio?” The face of a man who was dead for almost a decade flashed in his head – the face of a man who looked so much like him._

_“Akala mo matatakasan niyo ako ni Poleng?” she hissed._

_Poleng. Miguel Santos’ wife was long gone. They found the grave not long after he bought his dead rival’s lands in 1905. He had nightmares of a weeping, bloodied girl who had Celeste’s face for weeks after that._

_Celeste deftly bent down to grab the gun that they still kept hidden under the bed. “Umalis ka na kung ayaw mong masaktan.”_

_A look of fear briefly flashed across the girl’s face before it was replaced by rage. A loud yowl escaped her lips as she pounced at them. Celeste raised her gun and calmly shot her face. There was a low rumble before the girl disappeared in a flash of smoke._

_**_

_Their tenth and youngest, Carlito, was born on a cool November evening – the easiest birth that Celeste claimed to experience. They decided that ten was enough, which was mostly due to the fact that they were running out of names, but they were still happy nevertheless._

_**_

_Grief came when it was least expected._

_He never expected that he would have to bury his own son – especially when he was barely twenty and was full of promise. And yet there he was, weeping with Celeste as they held Claro’s lifeless, bloody body. The boy was murdered all because of a jealous rival who could not accept the fact that the lady he was wooing favored Claro Piqueras._

_He barely had strength left to restrain Celeste as she grabbed her old gun, tears still on her face. “Papatayin ko si Timoteo,” she told him, fiery wrath in her eyes._

_“Hindi ba lalong lalaki ang gulo?” he asked her quietly._

_“Mahalaga pa ba yan?” she asked him, trying to shove him away._

_He held her firmly though the effort was hurting his bad foot. “Masakit din sa akin, pero makakadagdag lang tayo sa gulo kung gaganti tayo.”_

_**_

_The next few years were mostly quiet, though no one was the same again after Claro’s death._

_Vicente was a great help to them, helping them win the case against their son’s murderer. He was more quiet now, thoughtful, a sad blanket in his dark eyes even when he smiled. He always brought his wife with him when he visited, and the way Josefa stared at Celeste was unsettling at times._

_News of his death broke on a rainy evening. They barely had time to process it when Adela appeared on their door, soaked to the bone. She visited frequently, though she usually asked for permission before she showed up._

_She aged as gracefully as Celeste did, but she had grown quite distance since the war. Paulo wasn’t sure if it was because of the figthing she endured at a young age, the loss of Goyong followed quickly by Julian, or if it was because something bad happened between her and Vicente – something they both vehemently denied._

_It didn’t matter by then. She was cold and shivering. She let the entire household fuss over her for a "change. She bowed her head as Celeste lent her a muted green dress and excused herself as soon as she could, heading straight for the family library._

_Paulo found her weeping alone at midnight. She knew he was there, exchanged looks with him before turning away and pretending she didn’t see him._

_He knew that people sometimes needed space to grieve._

**Friday, 10-21-2016, 2:15 PM, Tea-rad Pass**

He was a restless person at heart. Try as he might to sit still, he would always, _always_ find a way to fidget and look around. Celeste often helped him focus but he knew that she was as antsy as he was. Concha, for once, cooperated with her parents and decided to take yet another nap, a fist clutching her father’s shirt tightly.

They all froze as a tall foreign man stepped into the café, looking lost and curious. He was tall, probably in his early fifties at the most. His hair was the color of faded gold streaked with silver. Freckles dusted his pale face. He looked around, as if scouting the area, before his gaze caught Celeste’s.

He made a beeline for the couple, smoothing down his plain black shirt hurriedly. He stood across the table, giving them an impressively hesitant stare.

Celeste looked up at him, rage etched on her fair face. “You must be Sol Fletcher,” she said through gritted teeth.

“And you must be Celeste Bernal.” He pronounced the name in the Western way, making his daughter flinch.

“It’s pronounced see-LESS-te, not se-LEES.” Her face seemed to hold all the wrath of a raging river. “Why don’t you sit down so I can hear you out?”

Sol sat down on the only available chair, right across the table from the happy family. “I’m sorry for contacting you out of the blue. Finding your Facebook account was quite troublesome.”

“You weren’t obligated to go and look for me.” Displeasure was etched all over her features. “Don’t go around throwing it on my face, please.”

He stared at the couple with eyes that were the same shade as his daughter’s. “I’m sorry, I don’t want us to start on the wrong footing.”

“I’m sorry, you must know by now that it would be difficult to impress me.” Celeste glanced at Paulo, grinning. “Right?”

Staring at someone who really, _really_ spoke English made him start sweating buckets. “Right, beh. Right.”

Sol’s smile never left his face. “You’re her husband, right? You seem like a good lad. You’re treating her well, aren’t you?”

That was enough to lend Paulo courage to speak properly. “You know, sucking up to me won’t work. We’re going to get married soon, yes, but that doesn’t mean you can go through me if you want to get to her.”

An uncomfortable silence followed that, broken only by a soft whimper form Concha as she shifted in his arms.

“So, why _are_ you really here?” Celeste asked. “You shouldn’t be talking about treating a woman right – you left my mother, didn’t you?”

“I’m trying to make ammends here.” Sol raised his hands, trying to look innocent. “I’ve quit priesthood to look for you and your mother.”

She fell into another round of icy silence as she glared at him. “You were a _priest_? Was that why you wouldn’t talk to my mother? You had a one night stand, exchanged numbers, stopped replying as soon as you found out you were pregnant because you’re a priest? Putang ina mo rin, ano?”

He reached forward, as if to touch her. “I’m sorry – I know it was wrong. I’m trying to fix this, believe me.”

She flinched as her eyes swam with tears. She clutched her stomach, a sob escaping her lips. “You have no idea what my mother went through! My grandpa dragged her all the way from New York back to the Philippines just to throw her out. She had to live in another province and left me with her cousin so she can feed me and send me to school. She never got to see the rest of her family until my grandfather died. I almost died twice – and would have, if people didn’t help me pay for treatments.”

Her yell woke up Concha and made her cry. Turning pink, Paulo turned to her and started to rock her gently, trying to hum in the most soothing manner he knew. “Pasensya na, ‘Nak. Gago ata itong isa mong lolo.”

Concha sniffled and wailed.

Celeste wasn’t done with her tirade. “I grew up being called a _bastard._ I was an outsider with the missing American dad. They called my mother a whore, you know? They mocked me when I dated my partner, called me a whore like her for picking a wealthy suitor.” She was about to say more, but her words were cut off by a sudden gasp of breath.

She bent over and clutched her abdomen, rivulets of sweat dripping down her forehead. She exchanged a terrified look with Paulo before her eyes fell on her jeans – and the blood smeared between her legs.

 _Wag kang makunan, please._ Fear settled in his gut as he lurched forward, clutching their daughter securely with one hand and reaching for his lover with the other. “Beh, ayos ka lang?” he asked.

A wheeze escaped her lips. “Ang sakit,” she moaned, tears streaming from her face.

Joven rushed to them, alarm on his face. “May problema ba?” he asked quickly.

“Something’s wrong with my little lady,” Sol said, clearly horrified. “We have to get her to the hospital or something, please.”

A grim look crossed Joven’s face as he assessed the situation in a heartbeat. He pulled out car keys from his pocket and nodded. “Let’s go.”


	12. Pag-ibig

_“Hindi talaga katiwa-tiwala ang mga lalaki,” Adela huffed one night in 1939 when she popped in for a quick visit. “Paaasahin ka nila tapos iiwan ka nila sa ere.”_

_Paulo smirked as he began to braid her hair like he did in the old days – he still found it difficult to believe that it’s been over thirty years since he joined a revolution. It was almost as difficult to believe as  the fact that most of their children have finally grown their wings and left their home. “Ibig sabihin ba nito na hindi rin ako katiwa-tiwala, ganun?”_

_She shook her head slowly, a frustrated huff escaping her lips. “Iba ka.”_

_“Dahil ba nakilala mo muna ako bilang si Lina?” he asked, raising a brow._

_Celeste approached them with her usual cheeky smile, setting down a tray of steaming hot batirol on the table before sitting beside her husband. She watched their exchange a little sharply, as if she was aware of the point that he was trying to start making._

_“Oo. Iba ka kasi ikaw din si Lina noon,” Adela explained._

_“At para sa iyo, may mga katangian ako ng isang babae kaya mapagkakatiwalaan mo ako, tama ba?” he pressed on._

_She nodded, pursing her lips. “Totoo naman, hindi ba?”_

_He shook his head, exchanging looks with his wife. “Anong pinagkaiba mo sa mga lalaking nagdidikta sa buhay ng mga babae kung nilalahat mo rin ang mga lalaki dahil lang sa kasarian nila?”_

_She had no answer for that._

_**_

_He should have read the signs and portents that came with the news on the radio, on papers._

_War broke out for the third time in his life, and this time fleeing to relatives in Dapitan was more difficult. He and Celeste had to take the scant few employees that their lands still had, take their children and grandchildren. It already broke them that their fourth and sixth children – both priests – refused to come with them, prefering to keep serving their flock._

_He even sent a letter begging Adela to join them, but she never did reply. He just hoped that her brother’s family at least kept the lady safe._

_**_

_“Natatakot ako,” Celeste told him as she stood by the window, staring at the dark sky overhead. There was a sad, wistful look in her brown eyes – eyes that were still the most beautiful he had ever seen. “Puro na lang ba digmaan ang mararanasan natin?”_

_“Sana nga huli na ito,” he admitted. They fought in a revolutionary war once to fight against oppression – but all it brought was more war, more oppression. He wondered if it was really worth it, shedding blood and tears and sweat for freedom that was now jeopardized yet again._

_“Hindi ako matahimik sa balita,” she admitted. “Paano pag nakaabot na sa Tarlac ang mga hapon? Pano na ang mga naiwan nating anak?”_

_He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Natatakot din ako.” There was nothing wrong with admitting his fear._

_**_

_Going back to Tarlac after the war was like stepping into a new world. The old house still stood, a little dusty and sooty but otherwise untouched. Their lands were another matter, though. The farms were covered in a thick layer of ashes that mingled with the scent of death._

_Death and destruction surrounded them._

_The children and grandchildren were safe and he was thankful for that, but they lost so much during the war. Picking up where they left off would be harder than it was back when the Americans went through Tarlac._

_**_

_He was getting too old for hiking but he still humored Celeste._

_The two of them traversed the charred woods carefully. The still walked hand in hand like they did in their youth, back when the woods of Tarlac meant safety from his father’s prying eyes. Being young and in love felt like lifetimes ago._

_“Ano ba kasing gusto mong makita dito?” he asked._

_She looked up at him, a sad look on her pale, beautiful face. “May gusto lang akong bisitahin.”_

_They found a leafy clearing that was filled with rosebushes. It seemed untouched by Japan’s destructive conquest. The flowers were still abloom, showering a formerly drab world with vivid colors. He wondered if it was the world’s way of being symbolic – that something beautiful could rise from the darkest ashes._

_Celeste knelt in front of a slab of stone and bowed her head. He approached her, stood beside her and peered at the writings._

_Paulina Julietta del Pilar was written there._

_“Del Pilar?” he asked in confusion._

_“Si Poleng daw ito, sabi nung nag-aalaga sa lupain nila noon.” Celeste looked up, smiling sadly. “Nakausap ko yung si Totillo Mamucud nung binili natin yung lupang ito. Si Heneral del Pilar daw yung totoong asawa niya. Hindi ko alam kung totoo pero…”_

_He wondered, yet again, of the boy general’s sad fate. It seemed sadder the more he learned about his past._

**Friday, 10-21-2016, 4:00 PM, Angeles University Foundation Medical Center**

He felt nothing but terror while he waited in the emergency room. His mind was a blur – he was barely aware of anything but his rabid pacing around the hallway. He knew that Celeste’s father was saying something to him but he couldn’t understand it. He just nodded along when Nena, Rusca’s girlfriend, arrived and relieved him of Concha. He felt too addled when pink-haired Angela arrived and tried to console him. All he could think about was Celeste and the fact that something was very wrong.

He felt close to spontaneously combusting when the emergency room’s doors opened and a doctor emerged, looking for him.

“Safe na po yung asawa niyo, Mr. Piqueras,” he announced.

 _Asawa._ He really couldn’t wait for their wedding in January. “Hindi naman po siya nakunan, hindi ba?”

“Hindi naman.” The doctor’s words filled him with so much relief that he could cry from it. “I suggest lang na magpahinga muna siya ng ilang araw. Mukhang napagod at nasobrahan sa stress kaya nagbleed.”

There it was, the twinge of guilt in his gut. It was his fault, he knew. She wouldn’t have been so upset, wouldn’t have hauled herself all the way to Angeles, if it wasn’t because he was so drunk and _stupid_.

**Friday, 10-21-2016, 4:15 PM, Angeles University Foundation Medical Center**

He found her propped up comfortably on her hospital bed, grinning at him like nothing happened. “Sorry,” she chirped, sounding as relieved as he felt.

“Kamusta na pakiramdam mo?” The nurses would have freaked out if they knew he was sitting on her bed itself but he didn’t care. He was so happy that she was fine, that the new baby was going to be fine, and that Team Hijo de Puta would be looking after Concha who wasn’t allowed to stay overnight in the hospital.

She took his hand and put it on her stomach, eyes twinkling. “Better na. Nakahinga na ako ng maluwag. Pasensya na talaga.”

He shook his head. “Gago, wala yun, ano ka ba? Masaya lang ako na maayos ka na. Natakot ako para sayo,” he whispered, biting his lip. “Akala ko makukunan ka – nastress at napagod ka pa naman dahil sa akin.”

“No, no, no. Wala kang kasalanan.” A dark look crossed her eyes. “Ako yung dapat sisihin. Masyado akong nagpapadaan sa init ng ulo.”

The door creaked open and Sol stepped in, worry clear in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he blurted out as he approached Celeste without hesitation. “I was afraid that I may have made you miscarry. I don’t want to hurt you or your child, believe me.”

She fell quiet, giving her boyfriend’s hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry. I was an _ass_ , wasn’t I?”

“I understand why you hate me. I’m trying to make up for everything I missed.” He bowed his head, a small, sad look in his eyes. “I’ll leave now if you really don’t want to see me again.”

“Wait.” Celeste groaned as she shifted into a more comfortable position. “I’m sorry. It’s hard to let go of my anger. I’ll try to forgive you.”

He shook his head. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he pointed out.

“I do,” she said, tilting her chin up with pride. “But I want you to talk to my mother too.”

**Saturday, 10-21-2016, 7:00 AM, Angeles University Foundation Medical Center**

Checking Celeste out was easier. To his surprise, her father footed the bills without even telling them about it. He supposed it was the older man’s way of showing that he _was_ trying to make ammends.

Goyong and Jay were waiting for them outside, the latter still looking a little pale and clammy though she was cleared to go home. She grinned as she saw them and ran like an excited child, though, throwing her arms around Celeste and giving her a tight hug. “Buti nalang walang masamang nangyari sayo!”

A small chuckle escaped Celeste’s lips. “Buti nalang wala ding masamang nangyari sayo,” she said affectionately.

Paulo turned to Goyong, who was watching the two women with the same amusement that he felt. “Sigurado akong hindi ka rin nakatulog.”

“Hindi nga,” the boy general agreed, running his fingers through his hair and making it stick up on end. “Ang dami pang ginawang tests kagabi kaya todo bantay ako.”

He glanced at the two women who seemed well rested despite the medical tests that plagued their night. It was amazing, seeing just how resilient they both were.

“Saludo ako sakanila,” he said, a goofy grin lighting up his exhausted face. “Ang taas parin ng energy nila kahit na dapat haggard sila.”

Celeste hopped over to him, wrapping an arm around his waist with a catlike grin. “Ano, excited ka na bang bumalik ng Tarlac?” she asked him, her voice a low purr.

His imagination ran wild with all the things they could do once they were alone again.

**Saturday, 10-21-2016, 10:00 AM, Tarlac, Tarlac**

They headed straight back to Tarlac after picking up Concha and their luggage, their travel made a little more comfortable by the fact that Sol decided to drive for them. After all, Celeste’s father was perfectly willing to talk to her mother and make ammends.

“Sa tingin mo ba magiging oks lang sila ng nanay mo?” he asked quietly as they made their way to the driveway to the new house that was recently rented by Celeste’s mother and cousin.

She clutched a giggling Concha closer to her and bowed her head. “Hindi ko na rin alam,” she admitted, face paling.

He pulled her close as they steeled themselves.

Celeste’s mother, Lisa, opened the gates. Her gaze homed in on her daughter’s little family first and a warm smile filled her features.  Then she saw the man standing not far from them and froze. She glanced at her daughter, eyes narrowing. “Bakit siya nandito?” she asked, sounding nervous but nevertheless excited.

Guilt flashed on Celeste’s face. “Nahanap niya ako sa Facebook. Gusto ka daw niyang makausap.” She thankfully didn’t mention the fight she started and the fact that she _almost_ miscarried.

Lisa turned to Sol, smiling. “Come in. It looks like we need to talk.”

Celeste leaned against Paulo as she watched her parents step into the house. “Ayoko silang bulabugin – daan nalang tayo sa likod?” She probably didn’t feel comfortable about intruding on the elders’ conversation.

“G ako diyan,” he reassured her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

The two of them headed through the back door and into the kitchen, which was surprisingly empty. It seemed like Celeste’s chef cousin, Adong, wasn’t around. Celeste found her way to the small larder and one-handedly opened it. She rummaged around before throwing a bag of _potato chips_ to Paulo. “Merienda muna tayo. Mukhang matatagalan sila,” she said placidly, taking out her own chips and ripping it open with her teeth.

“Ayos ka lang ba?” he asked.

She nodded, popping a handful of chips in her mouth. She had to chew for a few good seconds before she replied, her mouth still half full. “Sorry, craving lang.”

“Ah.” He sat beside her and leaned his head on her shoulder. “Magiging oks din siguro yung lahat, no?”

“Dapat lang,” she growled. “Kung hindi iuuntog ko yung mukha ng tatay ko sa pader.”

It was a threat that wouldn’t hesitate on enacting.


	13. I Wouldn't Mind

_Silence._

_That was all they got from Adela since after the war. While yes, she did send them frequent letters detailing her different shenanigans, they were always tinged with a sort of distant sadness. She never did return to Tarlac._

_“Pabayaan mo lang siya,” Celeste said calmly as she braided their granddaughter’s hair, a sad smile on her face. “Marami na rin sigurong nawala sa mga mahal niya sa buhay. Siguro dinaramdam niya pa ang mga ito.”_

_His inability to help frustrated him, but he knew that Celeste was right. “Nakakainis lang isipin na wala akong magagawa para makatulong. Konti nalang ang natitira sa mga kaibigan natin tapos ganito pa…”_

_“Alam ko.” Her voice cracked. “Pag minsan hindi na rin ako nakakatulog dahil diyan.”_

_**_

_He didn’t know that Aguinaldo still remembered them after over fifty years of silence, but there they were, old and tired and weary but still standing amidst the celebrations._

_The former president that they saw looked much, much older, tired and sad and so weak. He was a man full of regrets, a man who had outlived his peers. Still, it was easy to see the bittersweet pride in his eyes as he beheld the festivities. They had all worked so hard in their youth for the next generations to enjoy these celebrations._

_The festivities just ended when Paulo thought he saw a ghost._

_A young man was standing at the edge of the celebrations, dressed in a beige polo shirt and dark pants. He was watching the festivities with a wistful, quietly heartbroken gaze. He looked just like the boy general, from the neatly parted hair to the pale face to the sad brown eyes. Gregorio del Pilar was long dead, cold and buried in the ground for over half a century. It could have just been a sibling’s descendant._

_“May problema ba?” Celeste asked, taking his hand gently._

_He gave the oblivious young man another look before turning away. He really was getting too old for adventures, even if he hated to admit it. “Nagmalik-mata lang siguro ako. Pasensya na. Akala ko nakakita ako ng multo.”_

_She raised her brows. “Multo nino?”_

_“Ni Goyong.” He didn’t feel ashamed of it._

_She nodded thoughtfully and gave his hand a squeeze. “Wag kang matakot.”_

_“Hindi naman ako natatakot.” He beamed. “Nandito ka sa tabi ko.”_

* * *

 

_They had grown old and sickly and tired._

_There was an odd feeling in the air one quiet September night. Rain was lashing outside, punctuated by the rumble of thunder and the flash of lightning. There was the quiet air that spoke of new era waiting to emerge – an era that would never want old revolutionaries in it. After all, they felt like they and Adela were the only ones left._

_“Kung mauuna man tayong mamatay kay Adela,” Celeste began as they lied down with their arms around each other. “Gusto kong mapunta sakanya ang singsing na binigay mo sa akin noong bumalik tayo dito sa Tarlac.”_

_“Bakit naman?” He wondered if Adela would even appreciate something that served as a belated betrothal ring. After all, she was almost as old as they, and equally weary. Besides, she also suffered so much romantic losses in her life – losses she did not wish to disclose but lingered in her very being._

_“Pakiramdam ko lang na kailangan nating gawin ito.” She closed her eyes and exhaled. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he didn’t give a damn about his bias._

_He nodded along. Maybe she was right._

* * *

 

_They died on a rainy September evening in 1970, on the same day that they first met back in 1883. They left together in their sleep, quietly and without any struggle. They left before the arrival of an era that truly hated revolutionaries both old and new, left now that they’ve ran out of adventures that they could take together._

_At least they found each other again just a little over thirty years later._

**Friday, 10-28-2016, 4:30 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

They just finished getting everything in order in their new home. They were ready to move in on Tuesday afternoon. The golden roses were already moved to the planter boxes under the front windows, now accompanied with equally golden stargazers courtesy of Goyong and Jay. The place was definitely shaping up to be their new home.

“Excited na ako,” he admitted to Celeste as he handed a giggling Concha to her and whipped out his car keys.

“Ako din,” she admitted, grinning from ear to ear. There was the sparkle of adventure in her brown eyes that told him of what she was anticipating in Angeles. It was definitely going to be much more interesting than Tarlac.

He opened the car door for her and made sure that she was comfortable before heading for the driver’s seat. He sat down and carefully revved up the engine, making sure not to agitate his child. He began to drive to the city proper, a smile on his face.

“So, ready ka na ba para sa costume party mamaya?” he asked with a mischievous smile.

“Of course.” She had spent a good part of the week assembling her costume, though she needed a bit of help from him in painting it properly.

He didn’t mind helping her, not when she was enjoying herself so much with her work. “Wag kang camera shy mamaya ha?”

She made a face at him. “At kelan pa ako naging _camera shy_ , aber?”

They both broke into comfortable laughter.

**Friday, 10-28-2016, 7:30 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Team Hijo de Puta’s household was very busy, well immersed in its preparation for the Halloween event. Everyone was hard at work getting dressed up, and Paulo himself wasn’t sure how he ended up getting into a _rayadillo_ , a white peaked cap, and a green lightsaber. Everything was mismatched, he had to admit, but it made a statement. Besides, the del Pilars were surprisingly dressed the same – even the boy general who historically prefered his beige uniform.               They were also carrying their own lightsabers like him, with Goyong himself clutching a red one that was reminiscent of his lover’s hair. Julio was holding a more traditional blue one, and Julian with purple.

“Pinagusapan niyo ba yan?” Rusca asked as he stumbled his way down the stairs, dressed in a certain ninja’s iconic orange outfit. He squinted at their costumes, rubbing his chin like a scheming expert.

Goyong snorted. “Selos ka ba, Ruscababes?”

Rusca raised a brow. “In your dreams, Goyong my bebelabs.”

They all erupted in laughter.

“Anong kaguluhan yan?” Nonong scrambled down the stairs, dresed like a traditional pirate, trying hard to perfect his walk.

They all grinned at him, hands behind their backs. “Wala, wala,” Julian said cheekily. “Tawagin mo na yung iba, baka ma-late pa tayo.”

“Well, nagbibihis pa sa taas yung mga _amigas_ so maghihintay naman talaga tayo, diba?” Julio asked. “Hintay tayo ng hintay pero pag minsan sinasayang lang natin yung paghihintay na yan.”

“Jusko, humuhugot ka nanaman,” Julian said with a smile.

“Pero diba hindi naman siya si Julio kung di siya huhugot?” Paulo asked, eliciting another round of laughter.

“Jusme, ang ingay ingay niyo,” Paco said as he strode out of the kitchen, clutching a glass of water away from his Tuxedo Mask costume.

Joven and Angela scrambled right behind him dressed as Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. They gave the group a wave before heading upstairs, their footsteps loud against the wooden floor.

“Ang tagal naman ng mga amigas na yan,” Paulo sighed.

Etong emerged from the hallway by the kitchen, dressed in his Hawkeye costume and _killing_ it. He beamed at them, adjusting his unnecessary sunglasses. He gave them a cheeky grin before sitting at the bottom of the stairs cross legged.

There were loud giggles upstairs, followed by Vince dashing into their line of sight, dressed like the Phantom of the Opera. A white-clad Addie seemed to serve as his Christine for the night. She seemed to be as prim and proper as always. She shot Paulo a quick look as she descended, though. “Kuya, kailangan ko kayong kausapin ni Ate Celeste mamaya,” she declared.

“May problema ba?” he asked.

She shook her head, smiling. “Wala naman. Basta, surprise siya.”

Jules emerged from the stairs next in her Sailor Moon costume, struggling to hold the wig in place. “Yung mga nag-costume na pang-Encantadia, pababa na.”

There was another peal of laughter upstairs.

Aurora dashed down in her golden Lira armor, clutching the fake sword like a lifeline. She beamed at everyone proudly. “Sulit na sulit yung mga pinaghirapan naming damit, ano?”

“Sulit indeed,” Nonong said, unable to take his eyes off her. _Young love nga naman_.

Next was Clara in her gold and blue armor – like the show’s queen, Minea. It looked _great_ with her green hair. She grabbed Etong by the hand and pulled him to his feet to clear the space in the stairs. Next came Nena in her purple Cassiopeia armor, looking every bit as queenly as the character she was dressed up as. She gave Rusca a _knowing_ look, her dark eyes glittering as he gazed at her bare midriff in awe.

Tina sprinted down the stairs next. She had not a care in the world even if her bronze armor and rich purple hair clashed. She _owned_ the costume which wasn’t exactly difficult – she was a lot like Danaya. She winked at them and stood between Aurora and Clara, arms crossed.

Marge as Amihan was next, the deep blue of her hair and the lighter blue of the armor costume looking great together. She all but flew off the stairs – maybe she did, aided by the wind magic that she specialized in as a babaylan.

Next was Jay as Pirena, her crimson hair and crimson armor making her look like she was on fire. Faint silvery scars peaked out of her costume’s cleavage. She was every bit the warrior princess that she projected herself as at that moment.

Last was the woman he was waiting for. Golden-haired Celeste was so lovely in her green Alena armor, fierce and warlike despite carrying Concha in one hand. The bullet scar on her sternum peeked over her costume, reminding him of what she had been through both in the present and in the past.

He smiled as she joined him, pinching his cheek. “Ang cute mo,” she whispered.

“Mas cute ka,” he told her.

**Friday, 10-28-2016, 7:45 PM, Dream Resort**

The local Halloween festivities – which looked more like an impromptu cosplay event – was already getting started when his group arrived. Adela approached Paulo and Celeste just as everyone began to disperse into the crowd.

“I have to tell you something,” she began, anxiously wringing her hands. “I’m sure you both know na ipinasa niyo sa akin yung engagement ring ni Ate Celeste nung past…”

“Ah, oo, nasa last will namin yun,” Celeste said, grinning. She tried to shush Concha softly as the baby began to fumble with the armor straps, threatening to cause a major wardrobe malfunction.

“I never did open the box noon kaya hindi ko alam kung ano yung nasa loob pero napasa pala siya sa mga descendants ni Kuya Vito.” Addie smiled and took out a simple wooden box that looked painfully familiar. “It’s time that I gave it back to you.”

Inside was the old gold ring topped with crystals shaped like a green dama de noche. It was still every bit as beautiful as Paulo remembered it.

He offered it to Celeste, who graciously held out her hand as he slipped it onto her ring finger, right beside the simpler engagement ring she now wore. He could see the glee in her eyes and it was enough to make his stomach start doing backflips. She was still so _beautiful_.

He turned back to Addie, unable to stop his silly grin. “Uy, salamat ha?”

She grinned and patted both of their cheeks. “Yan, ha? Kasado na yung forever niyo.”

He exchanged glances with Celeste. Forever was going to be a long time again – and he still wouldn’t mind it as long as he had her and the rest of their little family by his side, their new friends around them.


End file.
